Former Lake County firefighter accused of sexually abusing boy in 2008

Steven Ellis, 39, previously charged with possession of child porn

Steven Ellis, 39.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A former Lake County firefighter, who was previously arrested on child pornography charges, is now facing sexual battery charges, according to documents.

Steven Ellis, 39, was charged with 10 counts of possession of child porn in July, according to an arrest affidavit that listed Lake County Fire as Ellis' place of employment.

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Since his July 24 arrest, authorities said several victims have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Ellis, new documents show.

Authorities said they met with a 15-year-old boy six days after Ellis' arrest who told them he was abused by Ellis in 2008, when the boy was 4-5 years old.

The boy said Ellis had him perform sexual acts on him in Ellis' bedroom at his Lake County home, according to an arrest affidavit. Ellis also performed sexual acts on the boy and made him shower before returning home, documents show.

The alleged sexual abuse was initially reported to the Lake County Sheriff's Office in 2008, but Ellis was not charged due to a lack of corroborating evidence at the time, the affidavit shows. Since then, authorities have obtained further evidence that supports the alleged victim's claims.

"The statements made by the victim in 2008 to the Crimes Against Children unit were consistent with statements made to law enforcement in July of 2019," the affidavit reads.

Ellis was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of sexual battery and two counts of lewd or lascivious battery, according to the affidavit.

He is being held without bond in the Lake County Jail.

According to a statement from Lake County officials, Ellis was terminated after his initial arrest.

"Steven Ellis is no longer an employee of Lake County. He was terminated on July 26. He was hired as a Firefighter/EMT with Lake County Fire Rescue in October 1998," a spokesperson said in a statement.


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