WARNING THE FOLLOWING IS DISTURBING
A child rape investigation led Lancaster County detectives to uncover videos allegedly showing a caretaker repeatedly sexually assaulting and recording a mentally disabled woman while she slept, police announced on Monday, June 1.
Steve Anthony Jones Jr., 42, of Lancaster, was charged after investigators discovered videos and photographs allegedly showing him sexually assaulting a 28-year-old mentally disabled, non-verbal woman while working overnight shifts for a home healthcare company, according to Lancaster Township Police.
The evidence was uncovered while detectives investigated allegations that Jones sexually assaulted a child on May 8 at a home on Baron Drive in Lancaster Township.
Police said the child reported Jones entered the victim’s bedroom during the early morning hours and sexually assaulted the child. Lancaster Township detectives and Lancaster County Children and Youth investigated the allegations, resulting in charges of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, sexual assault, indecent assault of a person younger than 13, and indecent assault without consent.
During that investigation, authorities also learned Jones allegedly masturbated in front of a 14-year-old child while the child watched television in December 2025, according to police. He was charged with corruption of minors and indecent exposure in that case.
Detectives seized Jones’ cell phones while investigating those allegations and obtained search warrants to examine the devices. A forensic review conducted by the Lancaster County Digital Forensic Unit uncovered videos and photographs from November 2024 that appeared to show Jones having sexual intercourse with a mentally disabled woman, according to investigators.
Lancaster Township Police interviewed Jones’ former employers and identified the victim through a Lancaster-area home healthcare company, police said.
Investigators determined that on four occasions while working overnight shifts, Jones allegedly entered the victim’s bedroom while she was sleeping, removed her clothing, and raped and sodomized her, according to police.
Police said videos allegedly show Jones holding the victim down, placing his hand around her throat as if choking her, and striking her with his hands and a nylon strap during the assaults.
According to investigators, Jones recorded the assaults using his cell phone and saved the videos on both his device and a phone used by his 14-year-old son. Police said it was recently discovered that his son had access to the videos and photographs.
The home healthcare company was unaware of the alleged assaults and has cooperated fully with investigators, according to police. Authorities said the company is not suspected of negligence, though the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is evaluating the matter.
Police declined to identify the company to protect the integrity of the state’s investigation.
Jones was charged with four counts each of the following:
Felony 1 rape of a mentally disabled personFelony 1 involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person with a mental disabilityFelony 2 aggravated indecent assault of a complainant suffering from a mental disabilityFelony 2 sexual assaultFelony 3 institutional sexual assault of a care-dependent person by a caretakerFelony 3 sexual extortionMisdemeanor 2 simple assault
He also was charged with one count of Misdemeanor 1 indecent assault of a person with a mental disability and four counts of Misdemeanor 2 false imprisonment, according to police and court records.
Judge Brian Chudzik set bail at $750,000 in the newly filed case. Jones was committed to Lancaster County Prison after being unable to post bail, according to court records.
Jones was already being held at Lancaster County Prison on the child rape case, where bail was denied “to protect the public,” according to court records. He was also unable to post $100,000 bail in the corruption-of-minors case.
The child rape case and corruption-of-minors case are both scheduled for preliminary hearings on June 26, according to court records. Jones remains incarcerated at Lancaster County Prison on all three cases.
The newly filed disabled-victim case remains pending, with court records showing Jones faces dozens of charges stemming from the alleged assaults, which investigators say were recorded and stored on electronic devices seized during the child sexual assault investigation.
Daily Voice has reached out to the courts for more details.
Click here
to follow Daily Voice
Allentown
and receive free news updates.