Steven Abreu, a former Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office deputy, has been convicted on 29 charges, including first degree rape and several counts of second degree rape.
Here’s the latest from the office of Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes on the case.
Former Wicomico sheriff’s deputy guilty on 29 counts, including rape
On Dec. 6, 2024, following a five-day jury trial before S. James Sarbanes, Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, Steven Victor Abreu, 32, of Salisbury, Maryland, was convicted of 29 counts, including first degree rape and several counts of second degree rape, third and fourth degree sexual offense, misconduct in office, false imprisonment and unlawful sexual conduct by a law enforcement officer.
These offenses occurred while he was working as a deputy with the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office. Abreu was fired from the sheriff’s office as these crime came to light in 2022.
Sentencing was deferred for the preparation of a pre-sentence investigation report and a psychological evaluation. Abreu was remanded to the custody of the Wicomico County Detention Center pending sentencing.
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What occurred in the 2022 case involving Abreu
Abreu’s crimes came to light in October of 2022, when a woman reported that he had detained her in a parking lot and sexually assaulted her. Investigation revealed additional crimes – in one case, Abreu offered a ride to a woman in his patrol vehicle before sexually assaulting her, and in another, he returned to the home of a woman he had interacted with during a call for service earlier that day and, under the guise of providing her with a victim information pamphlet, sexually assaulted her.
A fourth woman was stopped by Abreu while driving home, but was able to escape when a neighbor approached and asked if everything was okay.
A detailed account of what went down in those instances was detailed in this previous Delmarva Now story:
The Abreu case in detail: Wicomico deputy arrest on rape charge: What we know
State’s attorney: ‘Crimes are an unconscionable betrayal of the public trust’
State’s Attorney Dykes issued the following statement on the verdict:
“Steven Abreu used his position as a law enforcement officer to isolate and sexually violate women while he was on duty. His crimes are an unconscionable betrayal of the public trust, and a violation of the right of every person to feel safe when they interact with a law enforcement officer.
“Abreu leveraged his position of power to gain control over these women to commit these heinous crimes and to keep them quiet. We are grateful to the jury for its careful consideration of the evidence in this case and for its verdict, one that recognizes the scope and horror of Abreu’s criminal conduct.”
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Former Wicomico deputy guilty of rape, 28 other counts. All to know