Stephen Bodley, 24, was found guilty of sexual battery on a child under 12 after a confession during a job interview at the Apopka Police Department in Orange County, Florida. The incident occurred in June 2021 when Bodley was applying for a sworn police officer position and, during a voice stress examination, admitted to sexually abusing a younger girl several years prior.
Bodley confessed to detectives that from ages 12 to 13, he occasionally engaged in "sexual games" with a girl who was around nine years old. This led to a criminal investigation, where further details emerged, including Bodley's belief that the incidents occurred about three times. He initially depicted the actions as accidental but later revealed they were recurring.
The victim's mother, who had known Bodley since he was a baby, was unaware of the abuse. The victim initially struggled to recall the incidents but later described the assaults in detail during further interviews.
Although Bodley retracted his confession during the trial, the jury found him guilty after three days. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 24, following a pre-sentence investigation.