GRANTSVILLE, Utah, July 19, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Grantsville man has been arrested on suspicion of more than three dozen crimes against children.
Mark A. Swan, 48, was booked into the Tooele County Jail on suspicion of:
- 10 counts of rape of a child, a first-degree felony
- 10 counts of object rape of a child, a first-degree felony
- 10 counts of sodomy on a child, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony
- Sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony
- Three counts of lewdness involving a child, a class A misdemeanor
- Unlawful detention of a minor, a class B misdemeanor
The alleged victims in the case were girls, ages 7 and 11, and a boy, 13.
Swan was a neighbor and a friend of the family.
The girls described multiple incidents in which they say the suspect tried to force them to touch his private parts.
In one recent incident, Swan reportedly exposed himself to one of the children, and when they refused to touch him, he told them they didn’t have to do anything they didn’t want. He then held his hand up to give the child a high-5, but instead grabbed their uplifted arm, and tried to force it to his crotch, the probable cause statement says.
In another meeting, one of children told a forensic interviewer that they had been raped over a period of four years, the most recent time a few days earlier. They told interviewers that Swan had made video recordings of the incidents, which also included other sex-related acts.
Swan was located and questioned by police.
“He admitted the children were at the home multiple times to play with his children,” the probable cause statement says. “He admitted the children were at the event with the cupcakes, when child rape allegations were mentioned, Mark demanded a lawyer and refused to speak to detectives.”
A search warrant on Swan’s residence turned up sex toys described by the children, along with recording devices.
The police statement noted that since Swan’s arrest, another possible child victim has come forward to be interviewed.
Swan is being held without bail.
