WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 15, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Washington County man told officials he raped a woman “because God told him” to, a probable cause statement said.
The statement from the 5th District Court of St. George said Gabriel Newland Dutson, 29, is facing charges of:
- Object rape, a first-degree felony
- Rape, a second-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a second-degree felony
- Assault with substantial bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor
On Feb. 14, officers responded to a report of a sexual offense that took place in Santa Clara, the statement said. Upon arrival, the victim reported that Dutson sexually assaulted her then fled the scene before the officers’ arrival. Dutson was known to her, she told officials.
The statement said that Dutson was at the victim’s house, changed into her clothes and woke her up. He then allegedly assaulted her in her bedroom and bit her on her back, leaving large bruises and scratches.
“The victim described the pain as that it felt like Gabriel Dutson was ripping flesh off of the victim’s body,” the statement said. Dutson told officials that the victim was screaming, so he put his fingers in her mouth and down her throat in an attempt to silence her. This caused the victim’s airway to be obstructed and caused injury to her throat and mouth.
The victim then bit Dutson on the hand, and he walked her outside and let her go.
Dutson was placed into handcuffs and transported to the St. George Regional Hospital for a medical clearance. After receiving a medical clearance, he was transported to the Washington County Jail.
“During my interview with Gabriel Dutson, I found that he appears to be suffering from a mental disorder,” the statement said. “Gabriel Dutson informed me that God told him to do the above actions and was frustrated because he failed. During the interview, he also stated that he knew of a way to solve the issue and that he needed to ‘shoot’ the victim with an arrow.”
The felony was committed while Dutson was on probation or parole.
The suspect is being held without bail.
