Detectives stop man as he was committing sexual battery in Pompano Beach: BSO

Detectives were in the right place at the right time when they apprehended a man in the midst of committing a sexual battery in Pompano Beach over the weekend, according to authorities.

The incident occurred Sunday morning in the 700 block of Northwest 8th Avenue, as confirmed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Detectives from BSO’s VIPER (Violence Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response) team had been surveilling 44-year-old Matthew Merriman Cohen as part of an ongoing investigation into a previous sexual assault. They followed Cohen to a gas station, where a woman entered his SUV, and the two drove to a nearby neighborhood.

Detectives observed Cohen forcing the woman into a sex act and immediately moved in to arrest him. The victim later told authorities that Cohen had offered her a ride to a friend’s house but instead demanded sexual acts, threatening not to harm her if she complied. She tried to escape, but Cohen pulled her back, leaving her in fear for her life.

Cohen was arrested on charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment, with more charges expected. Detectives suspect he may be connected to at least two other sexual battery cases in Pompano Beach and are urging any other potential victims to come forward.