Serial kid groper caught after lengthy crime spree
TRENTON » Carlton Francis allegedly copped his first creepy feel on June 12.
The 31-year-old city resident did not stop until last month.
Trenton police announced Tuesday that Francis, of the 100 block of Phillips Avenue, was arrested on Feb. 26 in relation to a handful of child groping incidents.
The most recent occurred on Feb. 20 at the corner of West State Street and South Gouverneur Avenue, authorities said.
Police said a majority of the indecent acts of groping were committed against female juveniles. Like a creep wearing a trench coat, the alleged serial groper also exposed himself to three girls during one incident.
Police said Francis had become a suspect in a number of groping incidents in the East and West wards of the city.
During one investigation of a Sept. 26 incident on Kent Street, detectives were able to recover video of the suspect, but they were unable to identify the culprit.
On Jan. 30, detectives caught a break after a video was recovered of the suspect’s vehicle. The vehicle was found in the city’s North Ward and surveillance conducted of the car led police to positively ID the suspect as Francis.
Over the past year, police said they conducted “numerous and extensive operations” in the East Ward to identify the perpetrator.
On Feb. 23, Trenton Police Detective Israel Bonilla, who was assigned to a majority of the groping cases, was able to establish probable cause to have an arrest warrant issued for Francis for the Feb. 20 incident.
After further investigation, police were also able to connect Francis to seven total incidents, resulting in 20 charges. Police say an investigation into other incidents is still ongoing.
“The residents and children of this city deserve the right to walk about freely without fearing for their safety and wellbeing,” Police Director Ernest Parrey Jr. said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard work, endless hours and dedication of all the officers involved in the investigation of these heinous acts, the citizens of this city will no longer have to fear Francis Carlton.”
Carlton is being charged with the following incidents: 6/12/17 — Gladstone Avenue and Schuyler Alley
9/26/17 — 100 block of Kent Street
10/13/17 — Gladstone Avenue and French Alley
12/13/17 — Gladstone and French Alley
2/15/18 — West State Street and Gouverneur Avenue
2/20/18 — West State Street and Gouverneur Avenue
2/20/18 — Parkside Avenue and West State Street
He is charged with 11 counts of criminal sexual contact, six counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of harassment and possession of marijuana under 50 grams.
Police said the weed charge stemmed from Francis’ arrest when he was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Bonilla was assisted in his investigation by Detective Anthony Petracca of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office under the supervision of Detective Sergeant Kenneth Lugo, Detective Sergeant Robert Carrier, Detective Lieutenant David Cruz and Detective Captain Donald Fillinger. The numerous operations were conducted by detectives from the Trenton Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, including the Violent Crimes Unit, and they were assisted by Detectives from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and Mercer County Probation.