SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 30, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake City man is facing 12 first-degree felony charges related to the alleged rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
Charging documents say the 45-year-old man admitted to the sexual abuse of his niece, who is younger than 13. Gephardt Daily is withholding the suspect’s name to protect the privacy of the victim.
The man was charged with four counts of rape of a child, and eight counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
The juvenile victim “reported being raped after discovering she was possibly pregnant today when she was taken to a ‘healer’ after not feeling well for several months,” say charging documents filed by an officer of the Salt Lake City Police Department.
“During a forensic interview, (the victim) stated that her uncle … had forced her into his bedroom where she was raped at least four times” and sexually molested additional times.
She said her uncle “threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Post Miranda, (the suspect) confessed to having sexually abused (the girl) on multiple occasions. (He) is in a position of special trust due to him being her uncle.”
The suspect, who makes frequent trips out of the country, was arrested Monday and ordered to be held in the Salt Lake County jail without bail.
