OREM, UTAH – November 2, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – Police in Orem have arrested a man for the alleged kidnapping of a 16-year-old runaway.
According to Orem police, Officer Jared Hawes stopped a juvenile for a curfew violation. The girl initially lied to him about her identity, but the officer was able to find out she was actually a reported runaway from Iowa.
During the course of their investigation, police discovered that 28-year-old Benjamin Braithwait had brought the young girl to Utah from Iowa about a month ago.
Braithwait was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail for aggravated kidnapping, two counts of forcible sex abuse, lewdness, and unlawfully providing shelter to a runaway.
His bail has been set at $30,000.
The victim in this case has since been returned to her home.
