A Stark County man is in custody following a months-long rape investigation.

According to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Joseph Cook was arrested, with assistance from U.S. Marshals Service agents, on May 22 on Ben Fulton Road in North Lawrence.

The 53-year-old was arrested for a crime that was reported on Dec. 26, 2019 in Tuscarawas Township.

Cook was booked into the Stark County Jail on charges that include first-degree felony rape, and third-degree felony gross sexual imposition.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Stark County Sheriff’s Office at 330-430-3800.