Man Suspected of Similar Incidents After Allegedly Photographing and Grabbing Woman in Palm Bay, Police Report

PALM BAY, Fla. – Authorities report that a man, involved earlier this year in an incident of taking photos and grabbing a woman at Turkey Creek Reserve in Palm Bay, is believed to be linked to several similar occurrences since 2023.

Joshua Barley, 30, faces charges of video voyeurism, false imprisonment, and battery, records show.

According to the probable cause document, a woman was sitting alone by the waterfront around 2 p.m. on April 26 when she noticed Barley approaching a dock nearby. He initially went to her left, circled to her right, and bent down to the water’s edge, seemingly observing fish. Feeling uneasy about Barley’s proximity, she decided to leave the area, as noted in the affidavit.

As she moved away, Barley allegedly rushed towards her, according to investigators. When the woman questioned his actions, Barley reportedly grabbed her foot to prevent her departure, then pointed his phone towards her crotch and pushed it inside her shirt, loudly declaring, “I’m taking photos in public, I’m taking photos in public.”

The woman ran after kicking at Barley to free herself, police said. Barley allegedly circled around and jumped out from the tree line onto the path in front of her, preventing her escape, according to the affidavit. Police said that Barley finally ran away upon seeing the woman on the phone and hearing her say, “He’s right in front of me!”

Though what was described as a “substantial” search followed, no one was located, the Palm Bay Police Department said in a statement Friday. A sketch was distributed through the agency’s social media platforms and resulted in several leads, the statement reads. Detectives were eventually able to identify Barley and link him to several similar incidents dating back to August 2023, according to police.

Barley had also become the focus of an unrelated Internet Crimes Against Children case on Thursday, according to the affidavit. He’s being held at the Brevard County Jail on no bond amount, records show.