Stephen Hand of Buckeye Arrested in Sex Attack on Helpless, Mentally Disabled Man

A Buckeye woman came home on Wednesday to a shocking sight: A man she knew was performing oral sex on her mentally disabled, 19-year-old son.Her son is too severely disabled to speak or give consent to sexual activity, court records state. The woman called 9-1-1- after the 26-year-old suspect, Stephen...

By Ray Stern

October 7, 2011

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A Buckeye woman came home on Wednesday to a shocking sight: A man she knew was performing oral sex on her mentally disabled, 19-year-old son.

Her son is too severely disabled to speak or give consent to sexual activity, court records state. The woman called 9-1-1- after the 26-year-old suspect, Stephen Hand, who's been known to the family for 10 years, left the house.

Detectives with the Maricopa County Sheriff's office tried to interview the victim, but he couldn't give a statement. The next day, deputies listened in as the victim's sister called Hand.

He admitted to the oral contact, records state.

Deputies arrested Hand at his mother's Buckeye home, where he lives, and booked him into jail.

The victim's family told police they fear Hand because of unspecified "past incidents" and they're worried he might try to retaliate "or try to negatively influence the victim."

Police seek one count of felony sexual assault against Hand.

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.