A Florida man admits he would “play sex games” with minors during a police interview

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) – A 26-year-old man who was applying for a job as a police officer was convicted of sexually abusing a minor almost ten years ago.

The Florida State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial District announced that a jury convicted Stephen Bodley on May 8 of sexual molestation of a child under 12 by a person under 18. His sentencing is scheduled for June 24.

According to an affidavit, on June 16, 2021, Bodley interviewed for a position as a police officer with the Apopka Police Department. During the pre-test interview, Bodley reportedly admitted that when he was around 12 to 13 years old, he played “sexual games” with a minor and she “didn’t fully understand what was happening.”

The affidavit says Bodley told officers the girl was about 9 or 10 years old at the time. When asked what sex games meant, Bodley reportedly said he “pulled out his penis, then switched to explain that it was an ‘accident’ the first time.”

According to the affidavit, Bodley said he “walked into his room naked and she laughed and then she put her mouth on it (referring to his penis).” This allegedly gave the defendant the idea to “play this game “.

The victim and her mother reportedly met with police on June 18, 2021. The victim’s mother told officers she had known Bodley since he was a child but was unaware of these incidents. She believed he had a “normal family relationship” with her daughter.

During an initial interview, the victim reportedly became “visibly emotional” and said she couldn’t remember anything. She claimed she and Bodley were close. According to reports, when speaking with the woman, the investigator working on the case noticed “several signs and statements that indicate being a victim of sexual abuse.”

According to the affidavit, the victim was interviewed again and said she had been in Bodley’s room when she was young and “didn’t process it at the time” because of her age. Bodley allegedly began kissing her on her body, “took out his penis and put it in her mouth.” Afterwards she is said to have “fainted”. The victim told investigators this happened several times in Bodley’s room.

According to prosecutors, Bodley was called back to police and taken into custody by investigators. During his trial, Bodley reportedly denied sexually abusing the victim, despite having previously admitted to the crimes on multiple occasions.

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