Child sex abuse probe of Adventure Play owner, associate 'could take months'
Perkins detectives chasing leads from 2003 as a 'daunting' investigation into business partners expands
PERKINS TWP — What began as a single investigation into a Snapchat video has exploded into a multi-victim probe reaching back more than 20 years.
In an exclusive interview, Perkins Township Detective Joseph Rotuno confirmed that the investigation into Rob Stein—and a close associate who is a well known deejay—is now focused on a pattern of preying on young girls that allegedly dates back to at least 2003.
But as police work to corroborate stories from women who have carried these secrets for two decades, they are fighting a second battle: a “daunting” amount of social media misinformation that Rotuno says is traumatizing innocent family members and distorting the facts of the case.
20-year pattern
According to Rotuno, the initial arrest of Stein for the dissemination of matter harmful to juveniles was just the tip of the iceberg. Through interviews with advocates like Alicia Higgins, police have identified several women who claim they were victimized by Stein and/or Lark when they were minors nearly 20 years ago.
“I’ve got at least two people that were victims and I’ve got 20 years of them having to deal with being victims,” Rotuno said. “This case is very daunting at this point in time... it’s going to take quite some time.”
Detectives are currently looking for information regarding a specific window in July 2003, when a victim believes four or five other females may have been victimized by the duo.
Many of these potential victims would now be in their mid-30s.
‘Handcuff’ video and the price of misinformation
One of the most heated points of the investigation hasn’t happened in an interview room, but on Facebook. Rotuno addressed a viral video taken during the search warrant at the Stein residence, which showed Stein walking to a cruiser without handcuffs.
The online backlash was swift, with commenters accusing Perkins police of “protecting” a predator. Rotuno set the record straight:
The Arrest: Stein was arrested in a traffic stop around the corner, placed in handcuffs, and transported to the house in the back of a cruiser.
The Scene: Once at the house, police were met by Stein’s wife, her father, and young children.
The Decision: To avoid further traumatizing the children, detectives briefly removed the handcuffs while Stein was inside the home during the search.
“The entire social media backlash from that was... in my estimation, ultimately, just stupid,” Rotuno said, noting that the decision was a tactical one made to manage a sensitive scene involving kids.
Innocent family in the crosshairs?
The detective also took the unusual step of defending Stein’s wife, Kimberly. Despite social media “bandwagon” posts claiming she was in on the crimes, Rotuno says the evidence shows the opposite.
“We’ve got no evidence of anything showing that she had any idea of all this,” Rotuno said. He described a woman who was “shocked and appalled,” had already kicked Stein out of the house, and was filing for divorce before the search warrant even hit.
Now, she reports being “bombarded” and “harassed” online, fearing for her safety as people post her address and business registration info.
Road ahead
While social media advocates like Ashley Ford have claimed to have lists of victims, Rotuno says the follow-through hasn’t always matched the noise. While some advocates have provided names, others have yet to produce the information they’ve touted online.
For Perkins PD, the focus remains on the long game: grand jury indictments that stick. That means interviewing every person these women spoke to over the last 20 years to corroborate their stories.
“I got one focus,” Rotuno said. “That’s to put people in jail that commit crimes and protect and serve.”
Are you a victim or do you have information regarding incidents involving Kim Stein or Jimmy Lark in the early 2000s? Contact Detective Rotuno at the Perkins Township Police Department, 419-627-0824.
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