The man accused of attempting to coax children into his car for sex admitted to police that he approached multiple children in the Mount Washington area, prosecutors said in court.
Steven Parker, 61, was in Hamilton County Municipal Court before Judge Donte Johnson on June 24. He was arrested on charges of child enticement and menacing by stalking. Police said that Parker’s conduct occurred May 7 and May 11, according to court records. Parker admitted to contacting up to 10 children in that area, police said.
That number could be higher, according to Detective Matthew Stewart. He said that the police were actively investigating the case and identifying further victims.
Parker told police that he attempted to pick up children “described as attractive and less likely to resist his attempts to have them perform sex acts on him,” investigators said in court.
Parker was arrested after the family of a 12-year-old victim first reached out to police. The parents of a 14-year-old victim separately reported that a man had pursued their child across different parking lots through multiple days. In both instances, court records show that he wanted to have sexual contact with the children.
The victims provided a description of the suspected individual and vehicle, Stewart said. Police later matched these descriptions to Parker.
Stewart was accompanied by two other police officers during the hearing. He told The Enquirer that he spoke before the judge to emphasize the severity of the case.
Parker told police that one of the victims was as young as 8 or 9 years old. The child was walking to school when approached by Parker, Stewart told the judge.
“Our concern is not only for the victims that are known, but also the unknown victims of the community at large, for which he represents a very significant risk to children,” Stewart said to the court.
He added that Parker lives within a 2-mile radius of four schools.
According to police, Parker denied having sexual contact with minors but admitted to engaging with prostitutes. Parker has no previous criminal conviction other than an OVI charge in 1996.
Johnson set Parker’s bond at $30,000, lower than the prosecutor’s requested bond of $50,000. Johnson also ordered Parker to stay away from the witnesses and receive electronic monitoring if he posts bail.
He is being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center. A grand jury is expected to review the case by July 6.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mount Washington man tried to lure kids inside car for sex, police say
Reporting by Jane Park, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jane Park, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
