HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 55 year old Hutchinson man arrested for electronic solicitation and aggravated violation of the offender registration act was bound over for trial Wednesday afternoon by Judge Joe McCarville.
The arrest goes back to around 3:30 p-m, on February 12, when Steven Peterman was allegedly waiting to pick up an underage girl in the parking lot of the Hutchinson Mall.
The state alleges that Peterman was engaged in conversations via cell phone with Sheriff Detective Diana Skomal who posed as a 15 year old girl. Peterman went to the mall to pick her up with the intentions of assisting her in running away from home, but also to teach her sex. That according to testimony in court.
The case started when Sheriff Officials discovered that he had a cell phone used for calls, text messages and internet access which he didn’t register with the sheriff’s office within 3-days of getting it which is required. They apparently got an anonymous tip. It was during that time when they were trying to determine if in fact this phone belonged to Peterman that the conversations with Detective Skomal began. There was one conversation that became very graphic and sexual in nature. Later text messages led to the decision to meet at the mall.
Peterman is also alleged to have created an internet site affiliation which he didn’t report. He apparently was using these device to make contact with what he thought was the young female victim, but also others through internet dating cites.
Peterman has served time in prison for two counts of attempted rape and electronic solicitation of a child from a case from 2001. But, he also has convictions for three counts of theft, perjury and issuing a worthless check. Those cases go back to 1979 and 1980.
With him being bound over for trial, the case now moves to the court of Judge Trish Rose where he’ll be arraigned on August 4.