Vernon Man Sentenced In 'Horrific' Sex Assault Case

VERNON, CT — A defendant in what authorities described as a "horrific" sexual assault case in Vernon will be serving 15 years in prison.

Tolland Judicial District State's Attorney Craig P. Nowak announced Friday that Judge Tejas Bhatt sentenced Steven Lemieux, 45, of the Rockville section of Vernon, to 30 years in prison, suspended after 15 years served, followed by 15 years of supervised probation.

Lemieux will also spend his lifetime on the state sex offender registry.

On Aug. 14, Lemieux entered a guilty plea in Rockville Superior Court in Rockville to one count of conspiracy to commit sexual assault in the first degree, one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of trafficking in persons.

According to a warrant and case records, an investigation by the Vernon Police Department showed that beginning in 2012, Lemieux and a co-defendant, Maria Stewart (who was 37 when arrested in 2023), both of whom were known to the then-7-year-old victim, "conspired to commit sexual acts repeatedly upon the child while she slept."

Lemieux continued to sexually abuse the girl on numerous occasions in various residences and hotels in the Vernon area with Stewart's knowledge, according to a warrant and case records.

Further investigation showed that in 2018, when the victim was 13, Lemieux took her down a wooded trail in Vernon and compelled her to perform sexual acts on another adult male, According to a warrant and case records.

The girl reported the abuse in February 2022, at which time a joint investigation began between the Vernon Police Department and an out-of-state law enforcement agency. Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Trudeau, who prosecuted the case, commended the girl "for her bravery in reporting the horrific abuses committed by the defendants and for her unwavering resolve throughout the lengthy investigative process."

Trudeau added, "Today’s sentence brings this case to a close and allows the victim to continue moving forward, which is why both the state and the victim support this resolution. Still, considering what this young person has endured, no sentence can truly make up for a stolen childhood.”

Inspector John DiVenere assisted in the prosecution, along with Paralegal Specialist Jennifer McDermott, Detective Michael Anthony and other members of the Vernon Police Department, and Tracy Miller-Freeman of the Office of Victim Services.

Stewart is in custody on a $350,000 bond and is awaiting trial.