Utah County therapist arrested on rape, sexual abuse charges

Jason Scott Calder. Photo Courtesy: UCSO

UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Sept. 27, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A licensed marriage and family therapist has been arrested on charges including rape and forcible sodomy after a 16-year-old former patient disclosed he had abused her while treating her in Utah County.

Detectives with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested Jason Scott Calder, 41, of Bountiful, on charges of rape, forcible sodomy and forcible sexual abuse Monday, according to a news release from public information officer Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

Calder, until recently, worked at a youth treatment center in Utah County, the news release said. The 16-year-old girl, who had been a patient of Calder’s, disclosed to a new therapist that Calder had perpetrated sex acts against her numerous times between March 2017 and late June 2017.

“The victim told investigators this abuse occurred during scheduled therapy sessions with Calder while she was a resident in the same inpatient youth treatment facility where Calder worked at the time,” the news release said. “Because Calder was responsible for treatment of the victim he was in a position of special trust over her.”

Calder was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail on charges of one count of first-degree felony rape, ten counts of first-degree felony forcible sodomy, and one count of a second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. Calder’s employment at the residential treatment center was terminated, but he had most recently been employed at a residential treatment center in Salt Lake County. Bail for Calder has been set at $100,000, cash only.

Detectives ask if there is anyone else who believes they may have been abused by Calder, or if anyone knows of someone who might have been victimized by the therapist, to contact the Utah County Sheriff’s Office at 801-851-4010.

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