AMERICAN FORK, UTAH — July 27, 2015 – According to Herald Extra, Jake Hardman, 22, an apparent homeless man from Mapleton who was accused of kidnapping and raping a teenage girl, pled not guilty in 4th District Court Monday morning.
Hardman and his attorney Scott Williams were both in court today for the hearing where the alleged victim and her mother testified.
The victim testified that in January 2012, Hardman asked her to meet him near Whiting Campground near Mapleton and when she arrived Hardman reportedly told her to get into his car then forced his fingers down her throat to make her swallow pills that made her drowsy.
The victim then testified that he told her that if she didn’t come with him, he would kill her family and because Hardman has an extensive criminal history, the victim said she believed he would follow through on his threats.
According to the victim, Hardman then drove up a trail several miles and when the car died, Hardman told her to get out of the car and that is when he raped her.
The victim testified that she begged him to let her go but Hardman refused; she said she then cried herself to sleep on the cold, icy ground. When they awoke in the morning the victim said Hardman told her to get up and the two of them walked back to the main road.
While the victim was gone through the night, her mother testified that her and her family were frantic and searching for her all night.
“She rarely left the house and when she did, she had a small circle of friends she typically hung out with,” the victim’s mother said. “I was concerned because it was so unusual.”
The family eventually found her walking with Hardman about a half mile from their home and as they approached them, Hardman allegedly pushed the victim to the ground and ran away.
The victim’s mother said her husband didn’t run after Hardman because he ran to hug his daughter first.
The victim testified that she didn’t tell anyone about the rape incident until August 2014 because she was afraid Hardman would follow through on his reported threat to kill her family. She also stated she was embarrassed about what happened. “Telling someone you had sex does not benefit you in any way,” she testified.
Judge Christine Johnson said she felt there was enough cause to bind over Hardman on first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping and rape charges.
Johnson dismissed 10 class B misdemeanor charges for unlawful sexual activity with a minor because prior police reports stated Hardman and the victim had a prior sexual relationship and it could be presumed the relationship was consensual.
Hardman will appear in court again Aug. 11.
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