SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 7, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 28-year-old Herriman woman has been charged with sexually abusing nine residents at a Salt Lake County drug treatment center where she worked.
Brooke Lynn Powell was charged Wednesday with 13 counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and four counts of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor, for her alleged actions while working at Odyssey House, a nonprofit addiction recovery center.
Prosecutors say nine victims — both male and female — reported being sexually assaulted by Powell while they were residents at Odyssey House between December 2022 and February 2023.
“Many of the victims reported [Powell], a staff member, would threaten to get them in trouble with the program or with the court,” according to charges filed in Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court. “Many of the victims also reported [Powell] would offer them rewards, such as using her phone, accessing their social media pages, bringing them food or soda, or advancing them in the program if they engaged in sexual acts with her.”
Prosecutors say Powell “preyed upon the vulnerable population of Odyssey House residents.”
She was arrested Thursday and booked into the Salt Lake County jail.
This isn’t a first for Odyssey. When my spouse was in Odyssey’s residential program (Milcreek location) there was a female staff who preyed upon him. He was newly in recovery and they’re vulnerable. She was inappropriate at work and other clients suspected something was going on between them while he was still in residential. When he exited she quit working there so they could continue their relationship. It was sexual. I was upset that she preyed on someone who was vulnerable and tried to inform Odyssey, but as far as I know nothing was ever done about it. She was also currently going to The University of Utah to pursue her psychology degree.. please tell me she didn’t know this was not ethical? She knew full well what she was doing, she just didn’t care. I would still like to pursue reporting her through the proper channel(s), but never got a response from Odyssey to do something about it. This happened in 2018. I know her name and would be happy to provide it to whomever. I should also add that this would have upset me a whole lot more had we been in a committed relationship when this transpired, but we were separated so we could both focus on ourselves. Still, this infuriates me that she used/abused her position within the program to engage in a sexual relationship with a client.
This. Happened to. My. Boyfriend. Too he was seeking. Help. And. For this. To. Been. A problem. In. Place. We’re. There. Supposed to help. Is. Evil someone. Tryn to. Chance there. Life and reaching out for. Help. Has. To. Be. Subjected. To. Sexual abuse. This Situation has caused a lot. Of. Trauma