In Marion County, Florida, an assisted living facility resident was arrested after allegedly groping a woman at the retirement home. On January 9, 2023, Marion County deputies arrived at the Harbor House of Ocala in Dunnellon.
Senior Citizen Arrested for Groping Wheelchair-Bound Senior at Florida Retirement Home
The incident was reported by an employee at the facility an hour after it happened. According to the deputy on the scene, the woman said that she was in her wheelchair outside of her room when Stephen Alfred Peeper (72) showed up. Without a word, he reportedly shoved his hands up her dress and grabbed her breasts.
The woman said that when she asked what he was doing, he replied “Trying to feel her t***ies.” She attempted to get him to stop by saying she had a boyfriend but Peeper reportedly groped her again.
This wasn’t Peeper’s first time getting caught or reported for inappropriate behavior. The employee who reported the incident said that Peeper had made sexually inappropriate comments toward staff members and others at the facility. He also allegedly groped a 19-year-old employee at House of Ocala in the past but it was never reported.
When the deputy asked about the mental condition of the victim and the suspect, the employee said that both were aware of what was going on. They also added that the victim had Parkinson’s disease while Peeper has a tracheostomy.
As for Peeper’s side of the story, he claimed that he wasn’t groping his fellow resident and was trying to give her a cup of peanut butter. Stephen Alfred Peeper was charged with battery and placed behind bars on a $1,000 bond.
