A Kentucky man is facing serious charges after traveling to Alabama to meet a 15-year-old high school student, allegedly with the intention of committing sexual assault.
Justin Stephens, who is 43 years old, drove over 450 miles from his home in Lowmansville to Florence, Alabama, where he planned to meet the student from Central High School.
According to a lawsuit filed by the girl’s mother, Stephens posed as the girl’s father when he called the school to take her out for the day. The lawsuit claims that once they left the school, he took her to an abandoned house where he sexually assaulted her.
Security cameras show the girl returning to her school around 2:00 p.m. with Stephens in his black Dodge truck. The girl’s parents discovered the abuse after they confiscated her cellphone and found messages exchanged between her and Stephens. They then contacted the police.
Stephens was arrested in October 2024 and indicted in January 2025 on several charges, including traveling to meet a child for illegal sexual activity and second-degree rape. In recent weeks, he was transferred from the Lauderdale County Jail to the Colbert County Jail while remaining in custody due to new charges added against him.
Along with the initial counts, he is now facing additional serious charges, including first-degree rape and electronic solicitation of a child.
After the jail transfer, he became one of the first individuals in the state subject to a law that allows judges to deny bail for suspects charged with serious crimes like rape and murder. As of now, Stephens has not entered a plea, and his attorney has not provided comments to the press.
In a related case, the mother of the alleged victim is also suing the school and some administrators for not following proper procedures when allowing her daughter to leave with Stephens. The Lauderdale School System stated that they are cooperating with the investigation but have not commented further.
This case highlights the serious issue of protecting minors and the responsibilities held by schools and guardians.
