WEBER COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 18, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — An Ogden man was arrested and booked into Weber County Jail on Tuesday, accused of multiple sexual offenses that allegedly occurred in April 2019 and August of this year.
Russell Scott Healey, 58, is facing charges of:
- Two counts of object rape, first-degree felonies
- Forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
Healey is also charged with one count of class B misdemeanor theft.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office described Healey as “a well-known photographer in the area” who owns and operates his own business.
The WCSO post says Healey “has a history of sexual assault in the area, going back approximately 30 years.” In light of the more recent reports of sexual assault, the sheriff’s office is asking anyone, male or female, who has something to report regarding Russell Healey to call their local law enforcement agency and reference Weber County Sheriff’s Office case 20WC22217.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in 2nd District Court in Ogden on Tuesday, deputies responded on Aug. 7 to a report of a sex offense that had just occurred.
The victim (victim #1) said she first met Healey in March of this year, when she won a free photo shoot, which was conducted at Healey’s residence and studio at 545 E. 12th St. in Ogden.
The victim said that although she won the free photoshoot, she had to pay for any pictures she wanted, and she paid Healey $100, the affidavit says. He then offered her a “better package deal” for an additional $50, which she didn’t have.
Healey allegedly kept finding ways to remain in contact with the victim by having her do work for him in exchange for the “better package deal,” but never actually gave her the photos.
On Aug. 7, Healey contacted the victim and arranged to meet with her and take her to get her photos, but “instead drove way out west” to a “very remote location where there are no other businesses or people and rarely any traffic,” according to the probable cause affidavit. It was there that he allegedly sexually assaulted the victim.
The reporting officer states in the affidavit that he was informed by someone else that Healey had preyed on other victims. The officer was able to make contact with a woman referred to in the affidavit as victim #2.
Victim #2 related an experience very similar to what victim #1 had reported.
According to the affidavit, Healey has previous convictions for sexual offenses, including against minors, and was a registered sexual offender until 2007.
“There are a total of five women thus far, along with Rusty’s criminal history, who all corroborate each other’s statements and provide substantial evidence of Rusty’s history of sexual assault and rape,” the document states.
The Weber County Sheriff’s Office says it is likely that there are others who have been similarly assaulted by this suspect, and it is hoped that they will come forward.
