Man accused of raping woman he met on social networking site

Steven Moore

A woman who met a man on a social networking site says she awakened to being moved and was raped.

Steven Lynn Moore, 40, of the 15000 block of Horseshoe Lane, Fort Myers, was charged Friday with sexual assault on a victim older than 12 years old by using force. He was released Saturday from Lee County Jail after posting a $50,000 bond.

According to Lee County Sheriff’s Office reports:

Just after 9:15 a.m. May 23 the woman called deputies and said she had been raped by Moore.

An investigation shows: The victim met Moore through a networking website on May 21 when he sent her an e-mail. They talked on the telephone that night for about three hours and met the next morning for breakfast. They spent the day into Saturday morning, May 22 and decided to meet again May 23 to see a movie. After she went home, they spoke on the phone again and decided he would go get her so they wouldn’t have to wake up so early Sunday morning, May 23, to go see the movie.

She fell asleep and believed Moore was going to sleep. She was adamant there would be no sexual contact. About 3 a.m. that morning, she was awakened when Moore repositioned her body and ultimately raped her as she kicked and screamed. He put his hand over her mouth and told her “Shut up. Shut up and let me finish.”

She was sexually battered some more before he released her. She gathered her clothes and noticed he was masturbating. She demanded he take her home and he asked her if she wanted to take the three leftover bottles of beer she brought with her. She declined and he took her home. The victim had bruises on her right upper thigh and left bicep. She picked him out of a photographic lineup.

He was spoken to but invoked his right to remain silent upon the advice of his attorney. He was arrested.

This isn’t the first time Moore has been arrested on a sex offense. On Feb. 14, 2007, he was charged with three counts of fondling a child younger than 12, two counts of sexual battery on a child younger than 12 and one count of displaying a firearm. Lee County online court records show that the charges were dropped the middle of July 2008.

Because of the Memorial Day holiday Monday, information as to why the charges were not prosecuted was not available.