UINTAH COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 24, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A former teacher at Uintah High School was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Uintah County Jail on six felony charges.
Vernal resident Rodd Adam Repher, 33, was booked on suspicion of six counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16 or 17 year old, each a third-degree felony . In incidents are alleged to have happened in 2016. Repsher was employed at the high school as a health teacher at that time.
Officers of the Uintah County Sheriff’s Department were notified on Oct. 11, 2016, of possible inappropriate behavior between a teacher and student, the probable cause statement says.
“It was reported that a teacher had walked into Rodd’s room and found both Rodd and the student in his room together. The teacher described the victim as sitting on a counter with her legs spread apart and Rodd pressed up against her.”
Later that evening, Repsher told the teacher he “had true feelings for the victim and they were going to go away together after she graduates,” the statement says. “Rodd told the teacher that he and the victim had kissed.”
The victim, then 16, declined to disclose any information to detectives. No charges were filed at that time. Repsher was put on administrative leave the day of the report, and never returned to teaching at Uintah High School.
Then, in July of this year, the UCSO was contacted by a witness who said she had additional information in the 2016 case. The witness told officers she had observed the victim going into Repsher’s house on July 6, 2016, and had seen them kissing on multiple occasions.
“The witness said they all had plans to move to another state together,” the probable cause statement says. “The witness further disclosed anytime during school the girls needed comfort Rodd would kiss them on the cheek as well as slap their butt’s in his classroom.
“The witness said Rodd spoke about having feelings for the victim, wanted a relationship with the victim and planned on leaving his current girlfriend.”
Later in July of this year, a detective contacted the victim, who now lives in another state. Special Agent T. Shelman (CID) Department of the Army completed an interview with the victim on Sept. 9 of this year, the statement says.
“During this interview the victim disclosed having multiple sexual encounters with Rodd Repsher,” the probable cause statement says.
“The victim stated this started while she was a sophomore at the high school. The victim stated there were multiple incidents involving oral sex…. The victim further disclosed these incidents involved at least three different locations within Uintah County,” which were the school, Repsher’s residence and a local business.
Repsher was arrested Wednesday at his workplace. His bail was set at $30,000.
A statement from the Sheriff’s Office asks the public to share any additional information because it is possible other young girls were abused.
“This investigation is ongoing because the original report in 2016 involved allegations that there were multiple victims,” a UCSO statement says. “Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 435-789-2511.”
