(Vernon, CT) - Craig P. Nowak, State’s Attorney for the Tolland Judicial District, announced that The Honorable Tejas Bhatt today sentenced Steven Lemieux, age 45, of the Rockville section of Vernon, to 30 years in prison, suspended after 15 years served, followed by 15 years of supervised probation and lifetime sex offender registry.
On August 14, 2026, Lemieux pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Rockville to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Assault in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-70, one count of Sexual Assault in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-70, and one count of Trafficking in Persons, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-192a.
An investigation by the Vernon Police Department showed that beginning in 2012, the defendant and a co-defendant, both of whom were known to the minor victim, conspired to commit sexual acts repeatedly upon the child while she slept. The defendant continued to sexually abuse the minor child on numerous occasions in various residences and hotels in the Vernon area with the co-defendant’s knowledge. Further investigation showed that in 2018, when the victim was 13, the defendant took her down a wooded trail in Vernon and compelled her to perform sexual acts on a second adult co-defendant.
The victim reported the abuse in February 2022, at which time a joint investigation began between the Vernon Police Department and an out-of-state law enforcement agency. Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Trudeau, who prosecuted the case, commends the victim for her bravery in reporting the horrific abuses committed by the defendants and for her unwavering resolve throughout the lengthy investigative process.
“Today’s sentence brings this case to a close and allows the victim to continue moving forward, which is why both the state and the victim support this resolution,” Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Trudeau said. “Still, considering what this young person has endured, no sentence can truly make up for a stolen childhood.”
Inspector John DiVenere assisted in the prosecution, along with Paralegal Specialist Jennifer McDermott, Detective Michael Anthony and other members of the Vernon Police Department, and Tracy Miller-Freeman of the Office of Victim Services.