A St. Petersburg man who is behind bars for sex-related crimes is now charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
Detectives said Steven Kirkland now faces a total of 9 charges.
According to detectives, Kirkland was arrested at the end of January. They said on that day, he was standing over a woman he did not know, wearing a Spongebob jacket and shoes as well as peeped through a window of another home. Demora Bailey said she was getting ready for work when she noticed a figure outside her window. She chased after him. Detectives said thanks to that arrest, they were able to connect Kirkland, using DNA, to a sexual assault that happened 7 days earlier.
According to detectives, Kirkland broke into a home and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl.
"He told her he had a gun and there were other people in the house, but he threatened (her) with the gun so that she wouldn't cry out," Yolanda Fernandez, St. Petersburg PD Public Information Officer, said.
Authorities said a day before the sexual assault against the 15-year-old girl, Kirkland lured two girls, under the age of 12, and he faces charges for that case too.
"He had a pattern and I'm glad that we were able to stop him," Fernandez said.
Bailey said she was shocked to find out this afternoon, Kirkland faces additional charges.
"It's just…..really disgusting," Bailey said.
She added, "It's so sad to even know that this was going on in this area".
Fernandez said it is unclear whether there are additional victims; if anyone has any information, they need to call the St. Petersburg Police Department.
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