Prosecutors Say Former Rosarian Academy Teacher Should Face Life in Prison for Alleged Sex Acts with Students

By Daphne Duret
Palm Beach Post
June 18, 2013

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/prosecutors-say-former-rosarian-academy-teacher-sh/nYNmN/

Stephen Budd

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

WEST PALM BEACH — Former Rosarian Academy teacher Stephen Budd faces a life in prison even on the low end of a possible punishment if convicted of sexual battery charges surrounding allegations he traded candy for sex with 9-year-old students, prosecutors said this morning.

Budd was arrested in April at his West Palm Beach apartment, not long after a former student of his at Rosarian Academy School, a private Catholic school in West Palm Beach, told police that during the 2006-07 school year, Budd would give them “Budd bucks,” which she explained was candy in return for sexual acts.

At this morning’s hearing in his case, Assistant State Attorney Jessica Kahn told Circuit Judge Karen Miller that according to sentencing guidelines, the lowest recommended sentence for the 51-year-old if convicted would be life in prison.

Budd, who was not in court this morning and remains at the Palm Beach County Jail, has waived his right to a speedy trial. The next hearing in his case is set for August 23.

According to police, Budd’s alleged victims were 9 years old at the time of alleged abuse. The former students shared an oath and didn’t want anyone to know about what happened, a West Palm Beach police spokesman said.

Budd faces charges on three counts of sexual assault, two counts of cruelty toward a child, two counts of battery and two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior.

The allegations surfaced when the former student at Rosarian told police that Budd, who was her homeroom teacher at the time of the alleged abuse, contacted her through Facebook. She told her parents that when she and another student were 9 years old and in fourth grade, Budd would assault them on a daily basis at the school on North Flagler Drive.

The girl told police that one time, after a sex act with Budd, she threw out her soiled clothing because she feared her parents would find out what happened. Budd also allegedly told the girls to perform sexual acts on each other and told them to take naked pictures of each other with the class Polaroid camera.

Budd was arrested after police listened in on a call between him and his accuser and thought he had plans to run. He apologized on the phone but never to anything specific, according to arrest reports.