Vernon Woman Accused Of Allowing Sex Assaults To Happen: Warrants

VERNON, CT — A second arrest has been made in a year-old sexual assault case in Vernon involving a young girl, police said.

Detectives Thursday served a warrant to 37-year-old Vernon resident Maria Stewart. She was located at the Exit 67 commuter lot in Vernon and taken into custody, police said. A warrant accuses her of not only allowing continued sexual assaults to take place, but also eventually joining in. She has been charged with first-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact, according to an arrest report.

The same charges were filed in January against Steven Lemieux, who was listed as 41 at the time, plus risk of injury to a child. Lemieux is described in warrants as the primary perpetrator in the assaults. He is currently being held on a $200,000 bond and is due in court again on March 31. The status of the case is "awaiting disposition," according to judicial system records. Lemieux has entered a not guilty plea to each charge.

According to warrants for both Lemieux and Stewart, the case materialized in March 2022 when a girl identified as the victim in the case told a state Department of Children and Families staff member that she had been sexually assaulted by Lemieux on multiple occasions when she was 7 to 14 years old. She said she previously lied during a previous investigation out of fear for family members' safety, according to warrants.

The girl told investigators since she moved out of town, she has become more comfortable about sharing details, according to warrants.

The child was known to both Stewart and Lemieux and the assaults began with Lemieux touching the girl and Stewart allowing it to take place, according to warrants. The touching escalated to more serious sex acts, some forced. Stewart is accused of eventually joining in and even cutting off the underwear of the girl, according to a warrant.

The assaults took place at a Vernon home and at hotels, and alcohol and marijuana were often given to the child, according to warrants.

Stewart was arraigned in Rockville Superior Court Friday and her initial $100,000 bond was increased to $350,000, which she did not post, according to the clerk's office. The case has been transferred to the Part A docket, reserved for the most serious of crimes, and Stewart is due back before a judge on April 14, court records show.