NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- After sexually abusing three young girls between 2022 and 2023, a 52-year-old man was found guilty on Wednesday. It all came to light in May 2023 when one of the three girls told her mother that she had seen Stephan Bancroft Jr.'s genitalia and he had masturbated in front of her. After calling the police, it was discovered that the girl's sister was molested by Bancroft. During the investigation, a third girl, who was a family member of the two first victims, said she, too, was molested. The girls were between the ages of 5 and 12 at the time they were assaulted. Bancroft had contact with the victims in both Norfolk and Chesapeake because he knew a family member of the girls. In an attempt to silence the victims, Bancroft reportedly convinced them they would get in trouble if they told anyone, preying on their fear. On Wednesday, Bancroft pleaded no contest, pursuant to the rule in North Carolina v. Alford, to two counts of aggravated sexual battery of victims under 13 years old, and one count of taking indecent liberties with a child as their custodian. In exchange for Bancroft’s pleas, the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office agreed to dismiss additional similar charges against Bancroft, and the Chesapeake Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office agreed not to bring charges regarding the same victims against Bancroft in their jurisdiction. There is no agreement to Bancroft’s sentence. Judge Everett A. Martin Jr. accepted Bancroft’s plea agreement, found Bancroft guilty of the three charges, and set his sentencing hearing on Feb. 7, 2025. “When people sexually abuse children, they cause great harm to the children, to their families, and to their future,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “We hope that Mr. Bancroft’s guilty plea, which encompasses his conduct not just in Norfolk but also in Chesapeake, will spare the victims the trauma of trial and allow for them to continue on their journey of healing.”