WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A 20-year-old man arrested Tuesday in Winter Haven is accused of lewd acts with a 15-year-old girl he picked up from a bus stop multiple times, police said.
Loy Don Stewart II faces charges of using an electronic device to solicit a minor, three counts of traveling to meet a minor and three counts of lewd battery, the Winter Haven Police Department said in a news release.
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On May 8, 9 and 14, police say Stewart arrived in a pickup truck to the bus stop at Edwin Street NE and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where he would allegedly try to get the girl’s attention.
(Stewart) called to the victim saying, “come here little mama”. The victim and Stewart ultimately exchanged Instagram accounts and talked for a short period of time until his account was closed down by Instagram.
Winter Haven police
Police said that Stewart took the victim from the bus stop to her school and dropped her off each of those days, allegedly having lewd interactions with her in his truck.
The victim told investigators that Stewart gave her e-cigarettes and on May 14 promised to give her alcohol and cash if they met again on May 19, but the victim confided in her parents and did not go to the bus stop that day, according to the release.
Detectives located Stewart at his home along Edwin Street, and he allegedly admitted to driving the girl to school and acknowledged the lewd acts inside the truck, claiming “the victim told him she was 17 or 18 years old, but he couldn’t remember,” police said.
“I implore parents to be hyper-vigilant about the school bus stops,” Winter Haven police Chief Vance Monroe said in a statement. “It’s always a good idea to partner with other parents and try to have a presence to ensure the safety of the kids.”
Any other potential victims who may have encountered Stewart at the bus stop are urged to contact Detective Heuer at 863-291-5304.