To Catch a Predator · Petaluma investigation
Jonathan Stemen
Jonathan Stemen pleaded guilty following the Petaluma investigation. He received nine months in custody and three years of probation.
Photo: To Catch a Predator Wiki
- Outcome
- Sentenced
- Evidence
- Attributed reporting
- Jurisdiction
- Sonoma County, California
- Encounter
- Not established
- Decoy posed as
- Girl3
- Case number
- Not established
Personal details
- Born
- June 7, 1983
- Occupation
- Military service member
- Hair
- Brown
- Eyes
- Hazel
Charges & sentence
Charges awaiting verification
We have not established filed charges from the available evidence. This is a gap in our research, not a finding about this case.
Sentence
Nine months in custody, three years of probation, lifetime registration, and additional treatment, travel, weapons, financial and contact restrictions.
Attributed to the sources below. Consult the original record for full terms.
Case records
Case narrative
Sting
Stemen was immediately arrested by Petaluma law enforcement, who had been waiting for him to arrive at the sting house. The reason why they thought he might have been carrying a gun on him, which he had access to being in the military, therefore was never interviewed by Chris Hansen . They looked through his car and discovered a shotgun that is loaded.
He was photographed, and Steman was sent to the mobile police booking station for questioning.
Stemen admitted to grooming a thirteen-year-old girl when questioned by a detective. He claimed to be "regretful" and that he "let his other head get the best of [him]." He also admitted to having seen men on television getting arrested for trying to rape children. He then tried making the excuse that he was a sniper in the war, so if there had been a child there, his sniper instinct would have prevented him from raping a child. However, the detective did not buy it, and he was charged with Lewd and Lascivious acts with a child under thirteen years old.
2023 update
Hansen tried contacting Stemen but could not find a number associated with him. He called the park's leasing office and left a message.
Community-written, from the To Catch a Predator Wiki. Not independently verified, and it does not establish charges or court outcomes.
Jonathan Stemen, To Catch a Predator Wiki contributors; see revision and history links. · CC-BY-SA
Media
Sources
- 1Jonathan Stemen on MegaphonePublic episode metadata matches the publisher RSS recording by title, release date and exact enclosure identifier. Reviewed publisher title/description names this profile as the subject of the recording.
- 2Jonathan Stemen on SpotifyPublic episode metadata matches the publisher RSS recording by title, release date and exact enclosure identifier. Reviewed publisher title/description names this profile as the subject of the recording.
- 3Jonathan Stemen (community wiki)Attributed community article. Revision date describes the article update, not a court or sting event. Full infobox, narrative sections, references and assets are retained in the private archive.
- 4Jonathan Stemen: occupation informationThe profile infobox lists these occupations. Undated roles do not establish current employment.
- 5Jonathan Stemen: legal outcome (revision 14059)Nine months in custody, three years of probation, lifetime registration, and additional treatment, travel, weapons, financial and contact restrictions.