HELPER, Utah, June 25, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Helper City Councilman is facing charges including forcible sexual abuse after he allegedly touched a woman inappropriately.
A probable cause statement from the 7th District Court of Carbon County said Darren Cloward, 49, is facing charges of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, burglary of a dwelling, a second-degree felony, criminal trespass within a dwelling, a class A misdemeanor, false statements at a preliminary hearing, a class A misdemeanor and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
The arresting officer wrote in the probable cause statement that he was dispatched on June 10 to assist Helper City on a sexual assault case at an address in North Castle Gate Circle.
The officer spoke to a woman who said Cloward had come over to her house and touched her chest area and had touched her breast through the bed sheets while she was in her bedroom, the statement said.
“She also stated Darren had come over earlier in the afternoon to check on his daughter who was in the backyard of the woman’s house playing with her son,” the statement said.
“She stated that Darren came in the back door by the kitchen uninvited and when she saw him he was standing in the area between the kitchen and living room. The woman stated he came over to sit on the couch next to her and made some suggestive statements about her and her swimsuit.”
The woman said that Cloward had been drinking and had an alcoholic beverage in his hand both times he came over.
After speaking with the woman and her son, the arresting officer interviewed Cloward and his daughter.
“During my interview with Darren I advised him of his rights and then asked him about his trips over to the woman’s household,” the statement said. “Darren confirmed that he did enter the residence through the sliding glass door in the kitchen the first time and spoke with the woman.”
Cloward confirmed that he did enter the second time around 8:30 p.m. to get his daughter.
“It is of note that Darren smelled of alcohol while I was speaking with him,” the arresting officer wrote. “Darren denied being downstairs. I interviewed Darren’s daughter who stated that she saw him go downstairs after coming into the house and the woman’s son told Darren she was downstairs changing.”
Due to Cloward entering the woman’s residence twice uninvited and on the second time going downstairs to allegedly commit a sexual assault while unlawfully being in her residence, being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and providing a false verbal statement after being advised it would be used in court as evidence, he is facing the charges above.
Cloward was transported to the Carbon County Jail with his bail set at $24,120.
The investigation was turned over to county deputies due to the suspect being a Helper City Council member, the statement said.
