A Kunkletown man, identified as a registered sex offender, has been charged with stalking and other charges.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Justin Leri and Trooper Milagros Holguin Ramos of the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop N Stroudsburg barracks in the case against Rocky Sokolowski:

At 4:57 p.m. July 20, troopers Holguin Ramos and Garrett Lare of the Pennsylvania State Police Fern Ridge barracks were requested to respond to the Dollar Tree on Route 209 in Chestnuthill Township for a report of a suspicious male.

Upon further investigation, troopers spoke with the victim and her minor daughter and learned that a man wearing a black shirt, black pants, black hat and black and white bandanna had been following the two throughout the store.

The victim said that while shopping, she had noticed the man began bending down next to her minor daughter and placed his face and nose inside the rear of the minor female’s loosefitting pants, appearing to be sniffing her buttocks area. The victim said she immediately pulled her daughter away, obtained a photograph of the man and contacted state police.

Troopers obtained the photograph and observed the male to be wearing all black with a black and white bandanna, appearing to have longer black hair fled. Troopers also obtained video surveillance of the incident with the victim, as she had described.

On July 28, photographs of the unknown man were shared on social media. Holguin Ramos then received information from an ex-girlfriend of the male, that his identity was Sokolowski, 36.

On the same date, troopers received additional information from a different manager at the Dollar General who explained that he had reviewed the footage and knew the male to be Sokolowski, who had been in the store earlier that day and was dressed the same. The manager said that he knew it to be Sokolowski because he works with him at Imagination Zone in Chestnuthill Township.

Furthermore, it was learned that Sokolowski walks with a unique and distinct limp, which was observed on surveillance footage. A records search indicated that Sokolowski is a registered sexual offender residing in that area.

On July 29, Holguin Ramos interviewed a second female victim at the Fern Ridge station who explained that on the afternoon of June 28, she was shopping at the Weis Market, Route 209, Chestnuthill Township, when a white man dressed in all black, with a black and white bandanna mask, began following her through every aisle, appearing to get extremely close, without picking up the items she was looking at.

She said that at one point, the man was bent down on his knees directly behind her, nearly tripping over him as she turned, and that she became so uncomfortable and scared that she notified store staff of the man and asked someone to stay with her.

In a subsequent interview, she explained that it appeared as if the male was smelling her buttocks or groin area, and when asked if it was possible that he was taking a picture, she said that she was wearing tight fitting legging pants and it was possible based upon the angle he was behind her, that he could have taken a picture of her groin area. She also said that she had suffered substantial emotional distress due to Sokolowski’s actions.

On the same date, Leri conducted further inquiry into Sokolowski’s criminal history and found that in 2017, Sokolowski was arrested by the Colonial Regional Police Department in Lehigh County after an incident in which he was found to be following women through a store and secretly filming them in an “up-skirt manner,” and was ultimately convicted of an invasion of privacy offense.

On Aug. 6, Leri traveled to Weis Markets and was able to obtain video surveillance of some of the incident with the second victim, and upon reviewing the footage, observed the male who appeared to be Sokolowski, dressed in the same manner as previously seen and walked with the same unique limp.

During the investigation, it was learned that the Pennsylvania State Police, Stroudsburg Station, had taken a report of a suspicious man appearing to follow a woman and her minor daughter throughout the Dollar Tree on Route 611, Hamilton Township.

The female complainant explained how the man who matched the same description as Sokolowski, continually attempted to get near them in an uncomfortable manner. The female was provided surveillance photographs of Sokolowski from the previous incidents and clearly identified him as the person who was following her and her child throughout the store.

Upon additional review of surveillance footage at the Dollar Tree, Sokolowksi is clearly seen with a cellular device illuminated in his hand just after the victim is pulled away from him.

Sokololwski faces charges on two counts each of stalking and invasion of privacy.

He is currently incarcerated in the Monroe County Prison in lieu of $50,000 monetary bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Aug. 14 before District Judge Danielle Travagline of Tobyhanna.