ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A police applicant in Florida admitted to sexually abusing his cousin during a job interview with the Apopka Police Department and was subsequently convicted in criminal court. Now he faces life in prison for the series of crimes, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
Last week, a jury in Orange County, Florida found 26-year-old Stephen Bodley guilty of sexual battery on a child, the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a press release.
In an application to become a sworn police officer in Apopka, Bodley first mentioned “playing sexual games.” During a later part of the application process, he again mentioned the sex-related crime, the New York Post reported.
“The certified voice stress analysis examiner performed a voice stress examination on Bodley,” Bain said. “During the examination, the examiner asked Bodley to expand on concerning answers he provided in a pre-test questionnaire.”
When Bodley was asked to further expand on the encounter, he described sexually abusing a child several years earlier.
The case was handed to detectives who tracked down the victim’s mother. She said Bodley and the victim had a close relationship, reported The Tampa Bay Times, citing a police affidavit.
The female victim was interviewed by the Florida Department of Children and Families regarding the abuse. She said it was ongoing for a period of several years, from when Bodley was approximately 14 to when he was about 19, the news outlet reported. While the victim’s age was redacted from court records, investigators said the abuse began when she was a child.
The applicant was arrested by the Apopka Police Department and criminal charges were filed.
During criminal proceedings, Bodley’s lawyer filed a motion to suppress the confession, but a judge denied the motion.
At trial, Bodley denied sexually abusing his cousin despite his previous confessions to police. Nevertheless, the jury found him guilty last Wednesday, May 8, of sexually battering a child under 12, which carries up to a life sentence.
Bodley’s sentencing is scheduled for June 24.
