Pictured above is Tim Steppach in a public photo on his LinkedIn profile.
A Benton restaurant owner was ordered by a judge to appear in court Monday morning for a pleading. This appearance is in association with The State of Arkansas vs Timothy Andrew Steppach. The defendant is charged with five counts of sexual assault. Read below about his recent appearance and his charges in detail, in the November update.
Mr. Steppach appeared on December 9th, 2024, before the Honorable Judge Josh Farmer, in District 22 Court, Division 2. Steppach was dressed in a cream colored sweater and blue jeans and appeared to have gotten a recent haircut.
Defense Counsel Ray Baxter spoke at the Judge’s bench, alongside Carrie Robertson, an attorney from the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Mondays are scheduling day in Circuit Court, so Steppach was there to get a court date to go over his case, and to be assigned a judge for the case. That judge will be Farmer.
Appearance order for December 9, 2024. Click to enlarge image.
Steppach entered a plea of “Not Guilty” in a previous appearance. Judge Farmer ordered the defendant to appear in his courtroom again on Monday, February 10th, 2025.
The defendant is not currently detained and is free to go about his business. Read more details about the claims against Steppach below.
UPDATE NOV 15, 2024
A Benton restaurant owner had his hearing and will face a District Judge in a hearing on Monday, December 9, 2024 in relations to claims of Sexual Assault given by three minors who worked for him. Read more about the details of the case and December court date below.
Pictured in a mugshot from Saline County Sheriff’s Office is Tim Steppach, owner of Tim’s Tavern in Benton.
Timothy Andrew Steppach, now age 47, was initially arrested on January 25, 2024 after three female staff members at his restaurant, Tim’s Tavern, went to authorities with various sexual accusations against him. The Benton Police Department investigated and turned over the case to the Saline County Prosecutor. The restaurant has continued to operate, along with marketing via social media.
Steppach was named in a document filed Thursday, October 31, 2024, and signed by Prosecuting Attorney Chris Walton. That document states that Steppach is being charged with “the crime(s) of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree and Sexual Assault in the Fourth Degree.” Steppach was ordered to return on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 to set a hearing date. That date was set for Monday, December 9, 2024, at 9am.
The documents below will show:
(#1) The police report
(#2) The charges in detail
(#3) Judge Ford’s current orders for Mr. Steppach
(#1) The Police Report:
Police Report Narrative taken by the Benton Police Department with minor victim names redacted:
www.mysaline.com/tim-steppach-arrest-012524-report
(#2) The Charges in Detail:
DOCUMENT OCT 31, 2024
CRIMINAL INFORMATION SHEET (CHARGES)
COUNTS
COUNT 1
The document continues with detail of COUNT 1, stating that “The said defendant in the 22nd District of SALINE COUNTY, did unlawfully and feloniously on or about January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 touch the breasts of Juvenile #1 without her consent.
COUNT 2
The document states details of COUNT 2: “The said defendant in the 22nd District of SALINE COUNTY, did unlawfully and feloniously on or about August 1, 2023 and October 31, 2023 touched the breasts and vagina of Juvenile #2 without her consent.
COUNTS 3-5
The document states details of COUNTS 3-5: “The said defendant in the 22nd District of SALINE COUNTY, did unlawfully on or about January 1, 2020 and October 31, 2023 touched the buttocks of Juvenile #1, Juvenile #2 and Juvenile #3 as well as tried to kiss them and he put his hand down the back of Juvenile #1′s pants.
CHARGES DEFINED
Sexual Assault in the Second Degree is defined as:
5-14-125.
(a) A person commits sexual assault in the second degree if the person:
(1) Engages in sexual contact with another person by forcible compulsion;
(b) (1) Sexual assault in the second degree is a Class B felony.
Sexual Assault in the Fourth Degree is defined as:
5-14-127.
(a) A person commits sexual assault in the fourth degree if, being twenty (20) years of age or older, the
person engages in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact with another person, not
the person’s spouse, who is less than sixteen (16) years of age.
(b) Sexual assault in the fourth degree is a Class A misdemeanor.
Click to enlarge images.
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- Criminal Info 1
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- Criminal Info 2
(#3) Judge Ford’s current orders for Mr. Steppach:
DOCUMENT NOV 5, 2024
NOTICE OF HEARING DEC 9, 2024
In The District Court Of Saline County, Arkansas, District 32, Benton Department, the following document was electronically filed for Circuit Court Case No. 63cr-24-908-2 / District Court Case No. F-2024-287, by Saline County Circuit Court, Myka Bono Sample on 2024-Nov-06 12:58:02.
It says that the defendant, Timothy Steppach, appeared with his attorney, Ray Baxter before District Judge Clay Ford on November 5, 2024. The document then lists four things that Judge Ford ordered that day:
- Criminal Information had been filed against Steppach –
The Defendant and/or his counsel were informed that an Information had been filed against him or her by the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit Prosecuting Attorney on behalf of the State of Arkansas - Steppach must appear in Court again Dec 9, 2024 at 9am –
The Defendant is hereby ordered to appear in Saline County Circuit Court, Division 2, 200 North Main, Benton, Arkansas on Dec 9, 2024 at 9 AM. - Steppach must consult with his attorney –
The Defendant shall maintain contact with their attorney and must make an appointment with and see their attorney at least thirty (30) days prior to their next court appearance date. - Steppach will be arrested if he doesn’t comply with the order –
Violation of the conditions of this Order may result in sanctions including arrest, imposition of additional costs and/or revocation of Defendant’s release and nothing in this Order shall prohibit any lawful and ethical conduct of Defendant’s counsel.
Watch MySaline for updates on this case.
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