West Bend man sentenced for child sex abuse
Steven M. Stathas (Wisconsin Department of Corrections)
WEST BEND, Wis. - A West Bend man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for child sexual abuse.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said 33-year-old Steven M. Stathas pleaded guilty to using a computer to attempt to persuade, induce and entice a minor to engage in unlawful activity. He was sentenced on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
According to court filings, Stathas, who was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted of two felony sex offenses against minors, began communicating online with a 15-year-old girl who lived in Kentucky in 2021. Between September and November 2021, Stathas traveled to Kentucky on multiple occasions and engaged in various sex acts with the victim.
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The U.S. Attorney's Office said on Nov. 28, 2021, Stathas drove to Kentucky, picked the victim up from her family home without her parent’s consent or knowledge and drove her to his home in West Bend, where he was apprehended by the West Bend Police Department.
"A permanent scar has been left on the victim’s life," Judge Brett Ludwig said during the sentencing.
Stathas will also see 10 years of supervised release after he is out of prison. He will also pay a $100 special assessment.
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The case was investigated by the West Bend Police Department.