A Batesville man has been charged in Independence County Circuit Court with two counts of second-degree sexual assault in a case involving children under the age of 14.
Court information says the Independence County Sheriff’s Department received a report from the mother of two children of possible child sexual abuse on June 2, 2022.
The mother told authorities a friend of her husband had been staying in their home, and during this time, she alleges the friend sexually abused the two minors, the court information said.
The suspect is identified as Stephen Thomaspeter Ledlow (pictured below), 30.
Both minors were separately interviewed regarding the alleged instances of abuse, and both of their accounts were deemed consistent by authorities, according to Ledlow’s arrest affidavit.
Ledlow has been arrested and is currently in the Independence County Jail under a $30,000 bond.
Image via Independence County Sheriff’s Department
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