A Columbus woman is facing a sexual battery charge after a July 1 incident on Belvoir Boulevard that police say left a 29-year-old woman injured and involved an 11-year-old boy. Authorities arrested Shelly A. Stevens and brought her before a judge on July 21 for arraignment. Prosecutors have set a preliminary hearing for later this month.
What police say
According to a police report, officers responding to a sexual assault call on July 1 found the adult victim, identified as M.S., with visible injuries, including bleeding from her right knuckle, bruising on her face and legs, a swollen hand and red marks on her neck. M.S. told investigators that she and Stevens had been drinking when Stevens allegedly reached into M.S.'s shorts, rubbed her hand over M.S.'s vagina and inserted a finger. M.S. also reported that her 11-year-old brother said Stevens had lain in bed with him and told him to touch her breast. The adult victim underwent a sexual assault exam, received stitches and had scans to check for possible strangulation, while the child had a forensic interview at a children's hospital, according to WSYX.
Legal implications
Under Ohio law, sexual battery is addressed in R.C. 2907.03. The statute covers situations where sexual activity is obtained through coercion, when a victim's ability to resist is substantially impaired or when the victim is a minor. Penalties depend on factors such as whether the conduct involved sexual contact or sexual conduct and on the ages of those involved, and the law provides for felony-level charges across different degrees. Prosecutors commonly rely on this section when allegations involve sexual contact or exploitation of a minor.
Court status and next steps
An arrest warrant had been issued for Stevens, who was then taken into custody and arraigned on July 21. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 30 at 9 a.m., according to WSYX. At that hearing, prosecutors are expected to present an overview of the evidence, and the judge will decide whether there is probable cause for the case to move forward. Court filings and upcoming hearings will mark the next public steps in the case, and further local coverage is likely as proceedings continue.
