SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. -- It was a night of unwanted sexual taunting and touching in the place where she volunteers. The Station 1 firehouse with the Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue Department.
"If you don't get hold of it and follow it up with criminal charges and prosecution it's just going to run rampant," says Lt. Col. Michael Timm with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department.
The 17-year-old female volunteer firefighter told a detective that two of her male counterparts, one a juvenile, and another 20-year-old Steven Tyler Perry, made up a ruse to get her out of her sleeping quarters. Then, they tried to get her take her clothes off.
"She held her ground, was adamant she was not going to disrobe. They pursued it, physically restrained her, wet her down with a hose, physically put her in the shower. She may have been very scared," said Timm.
Perry is charged with a felony count of custodial indecent liberties.
Lt. Timm believes that the juvenile coming forward, gave another, older female volunteer courage to do the same to report an incident that happened here at the Chancellor fire station number 10.
Sixty-two-year-old John Broadrup is charged with sexual battery after allegedly groping a 42-year-old woman volunteer he was training.
"He made some sexually suggestive comments and then touched her inappropriately," said Timm.
A longtime woman volunteer firefighter with Chancellor said when she heard about the charge against Broadrup, "It's about time." She didn't want to give her name or go on camera, but said she would not be surprised if more women came forward with similar accusations.
Republished with permission of WUSA-TV.
