FREDERICK MAN FOUND GUILTY AFTER TRIAL OF ATTEMPTED THIRD-DEGREE SEX OFFENSE, ATTEMPTED FOURTH-DEGREE SEX OFFENSE, SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT BY A FREDERICK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 25, 2026
FREDERICK MAN FOUND GUILTY AFTER TRIAL OF ATTEMPTED THIRD-DEGREE SEX OFFENSE, ATTEMPTED FOURTH-DEGREE SEX OFFENSE, SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT BY A FREDERICK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE
Frederick, MD – On Monday, March 23, 2026, in Frederick County Circuit Court, The Honorable Julia Martz-Fisher found 36-year old John David Hawk guilty of Attempted Third-Degree Sex Offense, Attempted Fourth-Degree Sex Offense, Second-Degree Assault, and False Imprisonment after a four-day bench trial.
On March 6, 2024, at approximately 6:30 pm, National Park Service Rangers, Maryland Natural Resources Police and the Maryland State Police responded to a report of an assault of a woman on the Canal Towpath Trail near Point of Rocks in Frederick, MD. The victim, who was located after a 40-minute search hiding in the woods, advised that she was jogging on the canal towpath trail when, just before sunset, she was tackled to the ground by a male subject. The attacker pushed her down onto her stomach, covered her mouth and nose with his hand, and used his bodyweight to pin her to the ground. The attacker then attempted to move her off the towpath towards the water. The victim was able to escape during the struggle, fled on foot, and used her Apple watch to call 911. The victim had various injuries she sustained from the attack. Officers were able to locate the area of the towpath where the attack occurred which was approximately .37 miles from the parking lot. The victim advised that she observed the attacker standing near a vehicle in the parking lot area when she first arrived for her jog. The victim participated in a forensic interview with a composite sketch artist with the United States Secret Service where she was able to provide a detailed description of the attacker. The National Park Service put out a public press release shortly after the incident in an attempt to identify the attacker and, with the assistance of the FBI and Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, obtained all cell tower records from the cell phone tower closest to the area of the crime scene preserving all cellular phone data transmitted during the date and time of the incident.
On June 29, 2024, the Defendant was arrested for indecent exposure by the Frederick City Police Department in the area of 750 Carroll Pkwy. A cell phone was seized from the Defendant as part of that arrest. The arresting officer later became aware of the National Park Service’s press release for the March 6th incident and contacted the special agent assigned to the investigation in September of 2024 to advise that the Defendant matched the description contained in the press release. The Frederick City Officer was provided with a copy of the composite sketch for review and confirmed that the Defendant appeared to be the attacker. The Frederick City Police Department obtained call detail records for the Defendant’s phone and forwarded them to the National Park Service and FBI. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team analyzed the records and determined that the cell phone seized from the Defendant on June 29, 2024 was in the area of the Point of Rocks Canal Towpath Trail during the time period when the victim was attacked. The records further indicated that the Defendant appeared to have lied in wait in a remote area of the trail for at least 47 minutes while the victim was jogging, before attacking her as she passed by. A photo array was conducted with the victim on February 28, 2025, wherein she positively identified the Defendant as her attacker.
On March 10, 2025, a Frederick County Sheriff’s Office detective and a special agent with the FBI Baltimore Field Office traveled to South Carolina in an attempt to locate and facilitate the arrest of the Defendant. The Defendant was located and arrested without incident in cooperation with the Florence County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. The Defendant was later extradited back to Maryland for trial.
After issuing the verdict, the Court ordered the Defendant continue to be held without bond until sentencing.
State’s Attorney Charlie Smith stated, “This was a calculated and violent attack on a woman simply enjoying a public trail in our community. Because she fought back, sought help, and stood firm through a lengthy investigation and trial, justice has been achieved. Our office will continue to prioritize the safety of our community and stand with victims of violent crime. We will not tolerate predatory behavior, and we will pursue those who commit these offenses wherever they go.
I want to commend Chief Counsel Ricky Lewis, the National Park Service, the FBI and its Cellular Analysis Survey Team, the United States Secret Service, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick City Police Department, Maryland State Police, and our partners in South Carolina for their extraordinary collaboration. Their ability to combine traditional police work with advanced technology ensured this predator was identified, apprehended, and held accountable.”
Chief Counsel Ricky Lewis represented the State of Maryland. The investigation was led by the National Park Service with assistance provided by the FBI – Baltimore Field Office, FBI CAST, United States Secret Service, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick City Police Department, Maryland State Police, and Florence County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office.
Press Contact:
Jacqueline Rottmann
Court Media Relations Officer
301-600-2972
100 West Patrick Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
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