BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A Kern County Sheriff’s Office sergeant charged with raping a former colleague will have to wait longer for his case to move forward, with his hearing delayed to late June, according to court records.
Stephen Wells is accused of sexual assault, reported by a female former colleague just over two years ago. The victim reported the incident to authorities the day after it happened. The woman had a brief relationship with Wells years ago.
Wells also faces burglary charges in the case.
PREVIOUS REPORTING: Kern County sergeant charged with rape after alleged assault at victim’s home
A Kern County Sheriff’s Office sergeant charged with rape, assault, and burglary following an alleged incident involving a former colleague pled not guilty in a court Monday afternoon. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
According to an offense report filed by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Wells had been drinking at a bar with friends on March 26, 2024. That night, he texted the victim asking if he could come to her house. Despite her repeated refusals, including telling him his girlfriend would “not appreciate that,” Wells allegedly showed up at her home.
The victim reported hearing knocking at her front door, on her side door, and on the sliding glass door of her bedroom. Wells went inside through a side door, the report said.
Once inside, Wells allegedly went to her room, pulled down her underwear, and attempted to have sex with her, according to the report. The victim said she told Wells “no” before and during the interaction and managed to fight him off, eventually kicking him away because of his intoxicated state. She threatened to call 9-1-1, and Wells left, the report said.
A Kern County Sheriff’s Office sergeant charged with rape, assault, and burglary following an alleged incident involving a former colleague pled not guilty in a court Monday afternoon. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
The victim, who also admitted to drinking that night, later underwent a medical exam that week that found injuries consistent with sexual assault. She has since been granted a protective order and has reported mental distress and weight loss in the months after the incident.
Wells denies the allegations and has said he went home after leaving the bar. However, phone evidence places him at the victim’s house at the time she reported the incident.
Wells pleaded not guilty in Feb. 2025. He faces charges of rape, assault with intent to rape a person under 18 years old and first-degree burglary.
Court records show he is due to appear on June 24, 2026, for a preliminary hearing before trial.