A resident of Aventura is facing serious charges after authorities said a months-long pattern of disturbing encounters with children in his apartment building led to his arrest this week.
Steven Gettis, 66, allegedly exposed himself and made inappropriate sexual comments to minors as young as 6, authorities said.
Investigators said the charges stem from multiple incidents between August 2024 and February 2025, where Gettis targeted victims aged 6 to 15 in the building’s pool area and gymnasium, according to Aventura police.
In one of the earliest reported incidents, around August 2024, Gettis approached a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old near the fifth-floor pool. After initiating an unsolicited conversation about a scar near his groin, he asked if the teens wanted to see it, then lowered his pants to expose his private parts, police said.
The 15-year-old confirmed seeing the defendant’s genitals as he partially covered his penis, while the 14-year-old looked away.
Pattern of behavior
On Feb. 15, 2025, Gettis again confronted the same teens by the pool, this time discussing female anatomy and boasting that his “penis had not expired” but needed coaxing for an erection, according to a police report.
Pointing to his groin, he added, “That little guy can be a predator, if you want it to be,” before threatening to drag the boys from the pool when they ignored him. Building security intervened, ordering him to leave.
Other incidents involved younger victims
In September 2024, Gettis approached two 11-year-old boys playing pickleball in the fifth-floor gym, recording them without consent and asking for their phone numbers, which they refused to provide.
During the encounter, he lifted his pants to reveal the groin scar while cupping his genital area over his clothes, then invited the boys to his apartment for pizza, urging them to keep it a secret from their parents, police said. The boys fled and reported the incident.
On Feb. 16, 2025, a 12-year-old girl in the gym alleged Gettis touched her leg and lower back while offering cartwheel lessons, an interaction witnessed by another parent.
Days earlier, on Feb. 22, 2024, Gettis placed his hands on a 9-year-old girl’s lower back and thigh during a backflip attempt and later grasped a 6-year-old girl’s waist, actions captured on CCTV footage, according to investigators.
Police described Gettis’ actions as “lewd or lascivious,” noting a pattern of targeting children in communal areas when unsupervised.
Investigators said he used ploys like showing his scar or offering food to lure victims, often coupled with inappropriate remarks or physical contact.
Following an investigation, Gettis was arrested Thursday, March 27, 2025 and transported to the Aventura Police Department.
After waiving his Miranda rights, he made incriminating statements, police said, before being booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact Aventura police.
