PROVO, Utah, July 13, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A 64-year-old Blanding man was arrested after police say he groped two teenage girls who were attending a youth conference last week at Brigham Young University.
BYU police say the girls, ages 16 and 17, were attending the university’s Especially for Youth Conference on Friday when they reported being groped by a man asking for money, according to a probable cause statement filed in Provo’s 4th District Court.
Dennis Lee Yazzie was arrested for investigation of two counts of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor, in connection with the incidents at the BYU Conference Center, 770 E. University Parkway.
Both girls were waiting in line for lunch on the east side of the conference center when a man approached them separately with his hands out and palms up, asking for money, according to the statement from BYU police.
The 16-year-old told police the man “brushed against her breast” and “then touched the bottom of her breast (over the clothes) a second time in a manner that it was clear he intended to touch her,” the statement continues.
The 17-year-old told police the man asked her for money and then “intentionally” touched her breast under her shirt, the statement continues.
Police arrived to investigate about 3:30 p.m. after a counselor working at the youth conference reported that the girls had been sexually assaulted. The counselor told police he witnessed the incidents and confronted the man prior to police arriving, according to the statement.
“He said he told Mr. Yazzie he could not touch girls like that and told Mr. Yazzie to leave,” the statement continues.
The counselor also provided a description of the man and informed police that he could be found in the university’s laundry building, BYU police said.
Police said Yazzie denied sexually assaulting the girls and stated “I’m no pervert” before being questioned about the incidents.
Yazzie is being held in the Utah County Jail on $5,000 bail.
