Utah mental health facility employee facing felony charges after alleged abuse of former child patient

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SANDY, Utah, Feb. 6, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Lehi man was charged Thursday on suspicion of two felony counts related to assault on a child.

Gabriel Michael Lima, 25, faces charges in 3rd District Court  of sodomy of a child, a first-degree felony, and enticing a minor, a second-degree felony, both connected with an incident alleged to have happened on or about Sept. 29, 2019 in Sandy.

A probable cause statement by a Sandy police officer says the victim, a 12-year-old girl, first met Lima while she was a patient at the Provo Canyon Behavioral Hospital.

“Lima was a staff member at PCBH who befriended (the girl) during her time there,” the statement says.

Days after leaving hospital the girl began receiving lewd messages from Lima via SnapChat and Xbox messenger including nude photos, the statement said.

Through electronic messages, Lima arranged to meet the child outside a Sandy Shopko, then drove her to a nearby park, the statement says. There, Lima allegedly fondled the girl and had her perform a sexual act, the statement says.

A $500,000 warrant has been issued for Lima’s arrest.

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