Bedford man receives 85-year prison sentence for child molesation

Joshua J. Stevens, of Bedford, was sentenced to 85 years in the Indiana Department of Correction on Thursday, following the verdict of his trial for charges of child molestation in August.

Stevens was found guilty on five felony counts of child molestation by a jury on Aug. 25. Those five counts include three Level 1 felonies and two Level A felonies.

State's arguements

The State of Indiana, represented by Jennifer Tucker, sought a maximum consecutive sentence, with aggravating factors for all five charges, which would have equated to a sentence of 220 years in prison, with 10 years suspended for each count.

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Tucker argued that Stevens took advantage of his position of power in the situation which would constitute as an aggravating factor in his crimes, providing grounds to extend his sentence beyond Indiana’s maximum recommended term.

Tucker also argued that Stevens’ criminal history should serve as an aggravating factor in this case. Most notably, Stevens was charged with escape on Aug. 31. In that case, it is alleged that Stevens cut his ankle monitor device he is required to wear per the conditions of his pretrial release, and fled Lawrence County just before the start of his trial for the molestation charges. Stevens was arrested in Monroe County on Aug. 24 and charged with possession of a narcotic drug and possession of paraphernalia.

The victim, who previously testified she was molested by Stevens 90 times from 2012-2019 while she was younger than 12-years-old, provided a statement to the court that was read during the sentencing hearing, detailing the impact of the abuse on her life.

The victim said she initially suffered from bad anxiety and depression and struggled to speak with or trust others. Following the arrest of Stevens, she began to feel safe again and more comfortable around others, with her anxiety and depression beginning to subside.

Stevens' defense

Stevens was represented by Lawrence County Chief Public Defender Tim Sledd, who argued that Stevens’ criminal history should not be considered an aggravating factor in this case, as his record consisted of misdemeanor offenses that occurred prior to his offenses in this case and did not occur after.

Sledd also argued that the jury’s verdict was vague and did not specify which specific acts he was being found guilty of during the time windows provided for his charges, opening the possibility of Stevens being charged twice with the same crime.