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Police: 2 face charges for rape allegations

After reading text messages in late April that revealed his girlfriend had consensual sex with another man, Joshua Edward Harer allegedly became angry and began to worry that the other man would “steal” his girlfriend, Cheyenne Marie Dugan, from him, according to state police.

So the 23-year-old Harer, along with the 19-year-old Dugan, together allegedly concocted a story in which they reported to police that Dugan had been raped by the other man, court records state.

Harer, who lives with Dugan at 55 Harvest Moon Park, Linden, just wanted to get the other man in trouble so he would not lose his girlfriend, police said.

On the morning of April 24, Harer called the state police to report that his girlfriend has been raped the night before, court records state. Harer coached Dugan on what to say to police. A criminal investigator was assigned the case.

The investigator, along with a sexual assault nurse examiner, both questioned Dugan, who initially told them that she had been raped in her home.

However, the entire case collapsed very soon when Dugan, during questioning, suddenly changed her story and admitted there was no rape.

Now Dugan and Harer both face misdemeanor charges of false reports to law enforcement and conspiracy.

While Harer waived his preliminary hearing before District Judge Jerry C. Lepley and was released on $2,500 bail on June 4, Dugan failed to appear for her hearing and a bench warrant for her arrest was issued.

She was taken into custody and jailed, but has since been released.

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