A Florida man confessed to committing a horrifying crime when being interviewed to become a cop, and he now faces life behind bars.
Stephen Bodley, aged 26, has been convicted by an Orange County jury of sexual battery on a child, as announced by the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain in a recent news release, per the New York Post.
The unsettling revelation came to light when Bodley, in his pursuit of a career in law enforcement, candidly mentioned "playing sexual games" in a sworn officer application submitted to the Apopka Police Department.
Subsequently, during the interview process, he reiterated this admission.
Stephen Bodley. Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Office
State Attorney Bain shed light on the process, stating: "The certified voice stress analysis examiner performed a voice stress examination on Bodley."
He added: "During the examination, the examiner asked Bodley to expand on concerning answers he provided in a pre-test questionnaire."
Bodley disclosed disturbing details of sexually assaulting a younger child when he was 12 to 13 years old, a revelation corroborated in an arrest warrant affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE.
"I can't remember but um, but what do you call it, yes, um, I used to um, play these little sexual games, like oral with my little [redacted] and I known she, she didn't know fully what was going on, and I used to watch porn a lot, so I had like a little addiction when I was younger." Bodley confessed to a detective.
Further interrogation revealed the extent of Bodley's actions, as he described initiating the "sex games" by exposing himself to the victim, who was around 9 or 10 years old at the time, under the guise of innocent play.
The admission prompted an immediate criminal investigation by the Apopka Police Department, leading to the identification of the victim and her mother.
Bodley was interviewing for the police when he confessed to the crimes. Credit: Gerardo Mora/Getty
Shockingly, the victim's mother, who had known Bodley since infancy, was unaware of any inappropriate behavior, considering his interactions with her daughter to be part of a normal familial relationship.
Although initially struggling to recall the abuse, the victim later provided chilling details during interviews with detectives, recounting multiple instances of assault in Bodley's room. She described feeling uncomfortable and traumatized by Bodley's actions, which he callously dismissed as "funny."
The victim, identified as female, disclosed the abuse to the Florida Department of Children and Families, recounting a harrowing ordeal that spanned several years, reportedly from Bodley's adolescence at around 14 years old to his late teens.
The victim, whose age at the time is redacted, recounted feeling powerless against Bodley's advances, painting a grim picture of manipulation and abuse.
Despite attempts by Bodley's defense to suppress his confession from being presented during the trial, a judge ruled against it.
Bodley now awaits sentencing, scheduled for June 24, where he faces the possibility of a life sentence.