Shelley man arrested after woman reportedly finds him sexually assaulting a 10-year-old
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SHELLEY – A 34-year-old man was charged with multiple felonies after reportedly being caught sexually assaulting a 10-year-old.
Steven Hardee was charged with two counts of felony lewd conduct with a child under 16.
Police reports say a Bingham County Sheriff’s deputy learned about a sexual battery case involving a child on March 17.
According to court documents, the reporting party got home around 10:37 p.m. that night. She told police the house was “dark and quiet.”
When she got to the main bedroom, she noticed the door was locked. The woman knocked on the door, and Hardee replied, “Yeah,” from inside the room.
Hardee opened the door a few seconds later, and the woman reportedly saw a 10-year-old relative sitting on the bed with her pants around her ankles.
Hardee left the bedroom, and the woman called 911. When she asked the girl what happened, the victim “wouldn’t say much.” The woman asked if Hardee had done anything sexual to her, and she reportedly nodded yes.
The woman confronted Hardee, who said he hadn’t sexually assaulted the victim but said, “this has happened a few times.”
He then claimed the 10-year-old had initiated the sexual contact.
Deputies arrived soon after and questioned Hardee, who said he was watching TV with the victim and “rubbing her legs.”
When asked why the victim didn’t have pants on, he claimed, “she just took her pants off.”
Deputies asked why the door was locked, and Hardee switched his story up multiple times, first saying it was to keep another child in the house out of the room, then saying he didn’t know the door was locked, before finally admitting he locked it.
According to court documents, there were multiple other children in the house.
On March 18, the victim was taken to the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center in Idaho Falls for a pediatric forensic medical examination. During the appointment, she reportedly stated she had been raped.
A warrant was issued for Hardee’s arrest on April 17, and he was booked into the Bingham County Jail on a bond of $75,000. A no-contact order was issued for the victim, and Hardee is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 2.
If convicted, Hardee could face up to life in prison.
Though Hardee has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.