A former St. Louis officer has been charged with sodomy after allegations he forced a woman into a sex act while on duty in 2015.
Citing court documents, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the victim called police after her car was stolen from her home at around 10 p.m. on June 12, 2015. That’s when Officer John Stewart arrived in a marked car and later forced the victim to have sex. She was six months pregnant at the time.
Sources confirmed that Stewart resigned from the department less than a week after the sexual assault allegations surfaced, so an internal affairs probe was never completed. Ex-Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce’s office decided against charging the veteran officer — but that move was upended by current Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Jan. 31.
It’s unclear what ultimately led Gardner to charge Stewart, 51, with sodomy. Reasons for the change in course are currently under wraps, as the matter is still under investigation, Gardner’s spokeswoman said.
“Based upon our investigation over the last several months, Mr. Stewart has been charged with one count of Felony Sodomy or Attempted Sodomy in the 1st Degree,” spokeswoman Susan Ryan said in a statement. “This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about this incident should call the Circuit Attorney’s Office.”
Though “not common, but not unusual,” Ryan said the woman, who was 25 at the time of the alleged sexual assault, authored the probable cause statement against Stewart and is named in the court documents.
“It’s another way to bring these cases forward,” she told the Post-Dispatch.
In her statement, the victim said she and Stewart discussed her stolen car as he stood near the doorway of her apartment. After finishing up his official duties, she said the officer then asked if he could enter her apartment. He then began complimenting the woman’s physical appearance and exposed himself after the woman refused to let him touch her, according to court documents. Stewart also allegedly asked for oral sex.
“I didn’t consent to the defendant’s sexual advances, but complied as I was in fear of serious physical injury to myself and my children, who were present at the time,” she wrote.
The victim noted that she’d saved some of the evidence following the reported assault. A crime lab later confirmed the presence of the officer’s DNA on some clothing and a cup.
According to the Post-Dispatch, the victim’s cousin shot a 10-minute documentary of her detailing the ordeal from a hospital bed where she was battling cancer. She said she had just put her four kids down for the night and feared Stewart might kill her, expecting the worst after high profile shootings of Black men in the area.
“I did what I thought was best and that was being compliant,” said the victim. “Obviously, he knew I didn’t want to do it.”
Stewart posted a $60,000 cash bond on February 7.
ABS has chosen not to publish the victim’s name.
