SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A 20-year-old is accused of attempting to sexually extort a 12-year-old girl at an Oakland County Park.
According to authorities, a 12-year-old girl was at Inglenook Park in Southfield on Wednesday, Sept. 17, when DeAngelo Steele approached her around 9:30 p.m. and asked to use her phone to call a family member.
Police said the two did not know each other.
When the girl handed him the phone, Steele reportedly ran off with it. The girl followed and caught up to him, at which point he allegedly told her she needed to perform a sex act to get the phone back. She declined, and he is accused of groping her and attempting to remove the child’s clothing.
Police said they arrived at the park and found Steele and questioned him, stating he was acting suspiciously and nervously. He was taken into custody and charged with unarmed robbery, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and accosting a child for immoral purposes. He is held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 1.
Police believe there may be additional victims. Anyone who believes they have been victimized or knows someone who might be is asked to contact the Southfield Police Department at 248-796-5500.