Florida man accused in Libertyville molestation says ‘God is punishing me’

Dennis R. Wells was driving in Florida’s Palm Beach County when his past in Libertyville caught up to him, according to authorities.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Detective Lawrence Wood wrote in a report that he watched Wells drive from his Lake Worth home about 5:20 p.m. March 14. Wood said he soon pulled over Wells on a traffic stop and informed him Libertyville police had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

“I asked if he knew why he was being arrested,” Wood wrote. “He said, ‘Yes, I touched a kid.’”

Wells, 58, was booked into the Palm Beach County jail and sent to Lake County five days later, according to sheriff’s office reports. He’s held in the Lake County jail in lieu of $150,000 bond.

At Wells’ arraignment last week before Lake County Associate Judge Raymond Collins, he pleaded not guilty to two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Palm Beach County authorities said they became involved in the Wells case when they were contacted by Libertyville police Detective Belinda Steckenrider on March 13. Steckenrider asked the Florida police if they could formally interview Wells on March 15, a day after his arrest.

“I don’t remember a lot of this, it’s been a while,” Palm Beach County sheriff’s Detective Nicole Addazio quoted Wells in the police report as saying before she and a colleague were about to question him.

Wells then said he wasn’t interested in making a statement without an attorney present. Addazio wrote that she and Detective Craig Hall didn’t ask any questions about the Libertyville accusations after Wells requested a lawyer.

But, according to the police report, Wells is said to have made a comment when Hall and Addazio walked him from an interview room to a holding area.

“This happened so long ago,” Addazio quoted Wells as saying. “I regret it and I guess God is punishing me for it.”

Information on when the alleged molestation occurred in Libertyville, how recently local police became aware of it or Wells’ duration in the village was not available Monday. Steckenrider didn’t return a message seeking comment.

Wells is to appear in court for a pretrial hearing May 9. His trial is slated for June 18.