DAVIS COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 10, 2021 (Gepahrdt Daily) — A Layton man has been arrested on felony rape charges.
A probable cause statement from the 2nd District Court of Farmington said Joseph Keith Batchelor, 45, is facing charges of:
- Two counts of rape, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of object rape, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony
- Forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
On Feb. 6, a woman brought a juvenile female to the Layton City Police Department to report abuse allegedly perpetrated by a man who was known to them.
A 17-year-old juvenile reported that Batchelor had allegedly molested her numerous times from when she was 13 until she was about 15 and that the abuse had started again in 2020. She said the suspect had taken nude photographs of her on numerous occasions with his cellular phone and “continually” asked her to send him nude photographs of herself, the statement said. She indicated she had recently looked at the suspect’s phone but could not see any of the nude photographs he had allegedly obtained of her and she believed they had been deleted.
On Feb. 8, a forensic interview was conducted with the 17-year-old; she said Batchelor had raped her multiple times.
Batchelor was arrested and advised of his Miranda rights. He admitted to receiving approximately six explicit photographs of the victim. He then said that he did not wish to answer any more questions without a lawyer.
He was transported to Davis County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
