WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Dec. 26, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City police have arrested a Sandy man wanted after he allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman he met through a dating app.
Suspect Samuel Whitney Faber, 42, has been booked into the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of:
- Three counts of aggravated sexual assault, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
The alleged incident was reported in May of this year. The victim told police days after the incident that she met Faber on the app, and they agreed to meet in West Valley City on May 6 for a restaurant dinner.
“While texting on the dating service, (the victim) had told Faber she does not sleep around and confirmed she will not have sex on the first date,” Faber’s probable cause statement says.
Faber reportedly showed the victim a concealed firearm he had in his possession, “although he did not threaten her with it,” says the statement, filed by an officer of the West Valley City Police Department.
“He offered to take her to his house in Sandy, UT, to show her another vehicle he owned, and she agreed to do so. “On the way to his residence, Faber asked who knew where the victim was. The victim stated her mother and sister knew her whereabouts. Faber then said if he dumped her in a ditch he would have to take her phone with him.”
At his house, Faber allegedly tried to get the woman into his hot tub, pressed his body against hers and asked if she felt the gun in his pocket, “which caused the victim to become fearful.”
The probable cause statement says he undressed her while she tried to fight him off, and performed unwanted sex acts on her.
Faber also choked the victim, cutting off her air supply for several seconds, court document says.
Later, Faber allegedly offered to drive the victim back to her car, in West Valley City, the woman told police. But before arriving at the car, Faber stopped in the parking lot of a big box store, where he assaulted the woman again, the police statement says.
Arrested by police on Dec. 19 of this year, Faber agreed to be interviewed after being read his Miranda Rights, the probable cause statement says.
Faber told police the sex was consensual.
“Faber denied forcing the victim to do anything sexual but stated he does push the boundaries. Faber also described himself as a sexual person.”
A search of his residence turned up a handgun matching the victim’s description.
Police consulted the victim’s therapist, who reportedly told them the woman “suffered significant trauma since this incident” and “lives in fear of retaliation from the suspect, often staying in her bedroom, refusing to leave the house.”
Faber was booked into the Salt Lake County jail, and ordered to be held without bail.
