WASHINGTON TERRACE, Utah, Sept. 1, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Weber County Sheriff officials have charged a man with the alleged sexual battery of a girl outside Washington Terrace Elementary School.
Court documents for 21-year-old Michael Gentry Wallen say he was charged on suspicion of:
- Sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor
- Criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor
- Failure to disclose identity, a class B misdemeanor
On Tuesday, Weber County Sheriff officials responded to Washington Terrace Elementary on a report of a suspicious circumstance in progress, Wallen’s charging documents say.
“The victim, a 10-year-old female, was at the elementary outside with her younger brother when an adult male, later identified to be Michael Wallen, approached them on school
property. The victim told deputies that Michael began speaking with her which made her uncomfortable. At one point during the conversation, Michael put his hand on the victim’s buttocks.”
Wallen separated from the victim, whose brother “contacted their mom who had a neighbor retrieve the children.”
Deputies arrived and interviewed the girl and her brother, and viewed security footage obtained from the school. Deputies spoke with neighbors near the school who told them that a male lived across the street. A relative of the suspect listened to a description of the man and identified him as a younger relative who was in her backyard.
Wallen was found wearing the clothing caught by the security camera, the statement says. He originally agreed to talk with deputies, then changed his mind, the probable cause statement says. Wallen then declined to confirm his name or date of birth, the report says.
According to law enforcement records, Wallen was found trespassing at a North Ogden school three days earlier and had approached young female students.
Wallen was arrested in the Washington Terrace case and was booked into jail with his bail set at $25,000. As of Thursday, Weber County jail records indicated he was still in custody.
