Cold case arrest: Cottonwood man accused of sexually assaulting girl in Peoria

Arrest made in Peoria cold case kidnapping

DNA has helped solve a 2009 cold case from 2009, when a girl was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has more on the suspect.

PEORIA, Ariz. - A 2009 cold case involving an eight-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Peoria has been solved, with the help of DNA. Now, a 43-year-old man has been arrested.

The backstory:

The suspect, identified in court documents as Steven Paul Lipton, was 27 at the time the alleged crime happened on Jan. 12, 2009. On that day, an eight-year-old was walking to her babysitter's house after school, expecting her aunt to pick her up about half way.

Instead, court documents state that Lipton picked the girl up.

"She was confronted by an unknown male who abducted her, took her to a remote area nearby the school, and sexually assaulted her," said Peoria Police Detective Brian Stehli.

Investigators state that Lipton identified himself as a police officer during the incident, and told the victim that it was OK for her to get in the car with him, claiming he was a friend of the girl's mother.

Lipton, according to court documents, later took the victim to an area near 87th Avenue and Windsor. That was where sexual assault happened. Court documents contained graphic descriptions of what allegedly happened.

"After being released, [the victim] ran to her babysitter's residence and reported the incident," investigators wrote.

The victim's aunt eventually learned about what happened, and contacted police immediately.

Dig deeper:

While DNA evidence was collected, no match was found. Per court documents, the case was deemed a cold case on Oct. 12, 2011.

In 2021, a grant allowed for old sexual assault evidence to be tested, and the case qualified. In 2023, the evidence was sent to a third-party business.

In June 2025, court documents state that DPS reviewed the DNA data, uploaded them to a database, and found it matched to Lipton. The match was later confirmed by a lab.

"The individual was arrested on other felony crimes and as a result, his DNA was uploaded into CODIS," said Det. Stehli.

Stephen Paul Lipton

Investigators say prior to his arrest, Lipton was living with his mother in Cottonwood, a community in Yavapai County that is located about 99 miles to the north of Peoria.

Lipton had just concluded his probation term prior to his arrest, according to court documents, and investigators coordinated with Lipton's probation officer in order to try and speak with him.

During an interview that was conducted after Lipton was read his Miranda rights, investigators state that Lipton admitted to living in Peoria at the time of the alleged crime, but did not admit to the crime.

"When I explained the details of the crime, [Lipton] again did not admit to committing the crime, but said he was ‘sorry,'" investigators wrote. "[Lipton] was concerned for his future as it related to this case."

Court documents also state that Lipton was previously convicted of impersonating a peace officer in January 2010. He was also convicted of DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia in 2011 and 2022, respectively.

What they're saying:

By the time Lipton was arrested, court documents state the victim is 24 years old.

"This is huge," Det. Stehli said. "She's been waiting 16 years for some answers, and hopefully we provided those answers, and can get her the justice she deserves."

What's next:

Per court documents, Lipton is accused of sexual conduct with a minor, child molestation, impersonating a peace officer, sexual assault, and kidnapping.

A judge, meanwhile, has set a $200,000 cash-only bond for Lipton.

What you can do:

"Given the nature of this case, detectives believe there may be additional victims or similar incidents that were never fully investigated or tested for DNA at the time," read a portion of a statement released by Peoria Police on the matter.

Peoria Police officials are urging anyone with information, as well as anyone who believe they may be a victim, to call the department's tip line at (623) 773-7045.