Florida man gets life for kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault of Lawrenceville couple
Stevenson Charles
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A Florida man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping a Lawrenceville couple, sexually assaulting one victim, and robbing both of them.
Stevenson Charles, 23, entered a guilty plea this week to charges including false imprisonment, aggravated sodomy, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, and two counts of aggravated assault. He will serve a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
The crimes took place in November 2022, after Charles connected with one of the victims through the dating app Scruff.
On Nov. 10, 2022, Charles met the victim in person and forced a sexual act at gunpoint before robbing him. Under duress, the victim brought Charles to his home, where Charles kidnapped the victim and his husband. Charles took their wedding rings and forced the couple to drive to various retail locations to purchase gift cards, which he took before leaving.
The case in Gwinnett County is one of several offenses linked to Charles.
In 2023, he was convicted in a federal court in Florida for carjacking, kidnapping, and robbing five victims in Miami, many of whom he connected with using the dating app Grindr. Additionally, Charles faces murder and armed robbery charges in DeKalb County for crimes committed in the same month.
Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Scott Estes, with the Special Victims Unit, negotiated the plea agreement leading to the life sentence.
DA Austin-Gatson issued a warning in light of the case: "Be careful not to allow yourself to become a victim by hooking up with strangers on dating apps."