Daytona Beach, FL – Investigators arrest a 50-year-old man nearly a year after a 9-year-old girl told the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office he’s been sexually molesting her since she was in kindergarten.
Deputies arrested Steven Stemmerman around 4:15pm Monday at his home on San Jose Boulevard near Daytona Beach.
As of 6:30pm Wednesday, Stemmerman remains in Volusia County Jail custody on $100,000 bond on charges of sexual battery of a minor and lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor.
According to the arrest report, the girl told VCSO Stemmerman has made her have sex with him and perform numerous sex acts on him since she was 5 years old. Investigators believe Stemmerman also performed numerous sex acts on her during that time.
The redacted report doesn’t specify if or how Stemmerman might be related to the girl, but it did note that the Florida Department of Children & Families has been notified about these alleged incidents.
VCSO Sex Crimes investigators say they were first notified in August 2014 after a caretaker for the girl told them the girl – who lived in Lake County at the time – started complaining of a burning sensation in her genitals the day after she had been picked up from a 5-day visit at Stemmerman’s home.
In the report, the girl claimed Stemmerman would tell her constantly that it was “her fault” whenever they engaged in sex or a sex act, but the report doesn’t make clear what she’s being blamed for. It also shows her telling investigators she told her caretaker about the abuse because she didn’t want to “take it” anymore.
The report shows investigators had a hard time finding Stemmerman in order to talk to him about what happened. It was nearly a year after the allegations were reported when he finally sat down with VCSO to tell his side of the story, most of which was redacted from the report.
VCSO also noted in the report that investigators took clothing from the girl that they believed had evidence of sexual activity on it.
VCJ records show Stemmerman was also booked there in December 2013 on charges of driving under the influence and resisting an officer.
Steven Stemmerman (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.