A former employee of the Wayne Township Fire Department is facing charges of sexual battery, criminal confinement, and battery.
An affidavit for probable cause filed on Tuesday details a series of alleged incidents that occurred at a WTFD firehouse between February 2022 and the first half of 2024, resulting in charges against Garry Stutzman.
According to court records, Stutzman appeared to have a friendly and somewhat flirtatious relationship with one of his co-workers. There was an incident where Stutzman reportedly engaged in intimate physical contact with a co-worker.
Stutzman’s behavior eventually became more intense, which made his co-worker feel uneasy. Based on court documents, it has been reported that Stutzman engaged in inappropriate behavior with his co-worker. The victim later stated that the activity was not consensual.
According to the police report, Stutzman expressed frustration when his co-worker did not reciprocate the sexual acts he had performed, questioning why they were not willing to do the same.
The victim informed the authorities that they had made an effort to cease communication with Stutzman following the initial incident. Stutzman was able to reconnect with his co-worker and informed them that he would be departing from WTFD to pursue a new opportunity.
Based on court documents, Stutzman expressed his desire to collaborate with the victim for one final occasion. After a hectic run during their shift that evening, both had swapped their uniforms for comfortable sweatpants.
While ascending the stairs, Stutzman reportedly engaged in inappropriate behavior by slapping the victim’s buttocks and attempting to remove their sweatpants. According to court records, the victim proceeded to adjust their clothing and make their way to their bunkroom.
Later that day, Stutzman requested a conversation with the victim. Thinking he would apologize for his actions, the victim agreed to meet in the hallway to have a conversation with him.
Based on police records, it appears that the victim encountered Stutzman in the hallway and was subsequently lifted and taken into his bedroom. The victim reported to the police that Stutzman forcefully threw them onto his bed and attempted to coerce them into kissing him.
According to court records, the victim managed to break free from Stutzman’s hold and then proceeded to try and brush their teeth before going to sleep. Upon trying to go back to their room, the victim discovered that their door was being held open by a chair.
The victim quickly inspected their room to make sure no one had entered. Shortly after, the victim noticed the sound of the door locking.
Based on police documents, the victim reported to the authorities that Stutzman had entered their room and made an inappropriate advance. The victim reported that Stutzman allegedly attempted to force their head down and demanded a sexual act.
According to court records, Stutzman attempted to make the victim bend over and remove their sweatpants. Despite the victim’s objection, Stutzman insisted on proceeding. Police reporting on the incident emphasizes that this is our final opportunity.
The victim raised their voice during their encounter with Stutzman, which eventually caused him to halt. Following the incident, the victim did not receive any communication from Stutzman.
The victim proceeded to report the incident to WTFD leadership and IMPD. Upon request from IMPD detectives, Stutzman willingly agreed to report to a police station for an interview regarding a sexual battery case.
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Based on court documents, Stutzman sent a text to the victim shortly after being contacted by the police. One of the messages he sent mentioned involving his children, which is causing him some unease. If you prefer not to engage in a conversation at the moment, feel free to disregard my message. I won’t be sending any more text messages.
On June 27, IMPD received a call from Stutzman’s attorney, stating that Stutzman would not be providing any statements regarding the allegations.