UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 16, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — More details have been released in the felony rape and sodomy case against a Davis County counselor who is charged with assaulting a 16-year-old patient assigned to him as part of his work at a Utah County facility for troubled teens.
Jason Calder, 41, of Bountiful, who formerly worked at New Haven, a residential treatment facility in Springville, is charged with:
- One count of rape, a first-degree felony
- Five counts of object rape, a first-degree felony
- Five counts of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony
- Five counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
- One count of obstructing justice, a second-degree felony
The charges stem from a sexual relationship Calder is alleged to have had with the girl, a facility resident, between March 1 and June 30 of this year.
“During this time frame, Defendant was Victim’s counselor/therapist, and thereby occupied a position of special trust,” the probable cause statement says. “Soon after meeting, a sexual relationship developed between Victim and defendant. On at least one occasion, Defendant and Victim engaged in sexual intercourse.”
The statement details instances of fondling, sodomy and sexual exchanges of various types, alleged to have taken place inside Calder’s office or in a wooded area behind the facility. Calder also scheduled the 16-year-old patient for therapy at night, which he did not do with any other patients, the statement says.
“Therapist Calder had access to the victim’s medical and mental health file, which made her very much at risk and this relationship put him in a position of trust,” the probable cause statement says.
“The victim stated that during these ‘counseling’ sessions, therapist Calder became very friendly with her, and these sessions turned into personal conversations. The victim was able to provide investigators with a number of details about therapist Calder’s private and personal life that typically a juvenile patient in counseling would not have knowledge (of) in regards to her therapist.”
According to the statement, the obstruction of justice charge is related to Calder’s repeated requests that the teen tell no one about the sexual relationship, “… otherwise he could be arrested and charged,” the probable cause statement says.
“At one point, Defendant discovered Victim had written information in her journal that might incriminate him, and he directed her to block it out with a black Sharpie, which she did.”
Court documents also asked that bail be set high.
“Therapist Calder has worked as therapist/counselor for trouble youth in the Utah county/Salt Lake area for a number of years,” the statement says. “This has provided him with access to a number of girls who were in similar circumstances as the victim in this case. The potential for other victims in this case is extremely high.
“In hopes that this arrest will encourage these other victims to come forward and due to the manner in which therapist Calder repeatedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl to whom he was supposed to be providing help, counsel and support, it is requested that an extremely high cash-only bail be set in this case.”
Calder’s bail was set at $100,000, cash only.
