Bonds lowered again for White Settlement suspect of child sexual assault

After months on the run, the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said 39-year-old Steven Skalij turned himself in overnight Friday and is being held in Tarrant County Jail.

White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook credits public pressure from news and social media coverage.

But he said there are still concerns about more victims, as state agencies are also looking into Skalij.

"We were notified that we had some state agencies that were looking into this as well, this whole situation, especially with the children at home and all that," Cook said.

Cook said at one point, Skalij's property had multiple living areas, with several teens and adults living there.

“There was some allegations, again, that people just didn’t go by state law, that if a teenager wanted to engage in a romantic sexual relationship with an adult — that they’d just turn the other way, and that’s very concerning," Cook said.

Skalij faces three charges of child sexual assault.

According to warrants obtained by NBC 5, the parents of a 15-year-old girl came to White Settlement Police on Oct. 23, 2023, to report that Skalij had sexually assaulted their daughter.

The parents said they found a video on their daughter's phone of the assault, which they handed over to police, according to warrants.

The video indicated that the assault happened at Skalij's home and also showed another 14-year-old girl, also involved in the relationship, stating the warrant.

Detectives realized the 14-year-old was the same one whose mother had approached them a few weeks prior, stating that she thought Skalij was having sexual relations with her daughter. According to the documents, she said her daughter was living at Skalij's house with other family members at the time.

At the time of that report, officers did not have enough evidence to show probable cause that a crime had been committed, according to papers.

Officers said when they interviewed Skalij, he admitted to having sex with both teens several times.

"What's concerning is, I think, in his mind, teenagers can consent, and that is not factual, not correct," Cook said.

This is the second time Skalij is behind bars related to these cases.

Skalij bonded out the first time after a judge lowered his bond amount from $500,000 to $100,000.

Now, bond amounts for his other two charges have been lowered again from $1 million and $500,000 to $100,000 each.

"I will admit I was shocked for the second time," said Judge Christopher Gregory, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Tarrant County.

Judge Gregory had set the initial high amount of bonds.

"Me setting the bond was due to the heinous of the crime, and even in one of them, how the warrant was based out, and there was actually video footage," he said.

"Ultimately, he is still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. So, he's afforded that right that if he has the ability to bond out," he added.

But police are frustrated that another judge has again lowered Skalij's bond.

"I get it. Judges can do that. But what happened is as soon as he bonded out, he picked up one of the victims in these cases," Cook said.

NBC 5 has reached out to the judge listed in court documents who may have lowered Skalij's bonds but has not yet heard back.

He said now that the department is working with Tarrant County's bond desk to prove he violated the conditions of his first bond and shouldn't be allowed that option at all this time.

"Our opinion is because he violated the first charge when he was reduced on bond and was able to get out, my goal is certainly to keep him in custody until trial," Cook explained.

A race against time to revoke Skalij's bond before he may post it again.

"It just becomes a situation where we worry if he gets out, he may try to contact victims again. And we don't want that," Cook said. "It becomes frustrating when it becomes a revolving door with someone."