PROVO, Utah, June 10, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) -- A 32-year-old Provo man has been jailed after police say he allegedly groped young girls in the children's pool area of the Provo Recreation Center.
Alfonso Lopez Gutierrez was arrested Monday for investigation of three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony.
"Multiple adult parents witnessed the male's behavior, as well as a lifeguard," say charging documents for Lopez Gutierrez, filed by an officer of the Provo Police Department.
Provo Police officers responded to the scene, and spoke to the parents of two alleged child victims.
Officers took the male into custody, and special victims unit team spoke with witnesses. One child victim also took part in a forensic interview, charging documents say.
"It was determined that while swimming in the lazy river portion of the pool, the male suspect touched a 10-year-old child on her thigh and touched her 13-year-old sister on her leg, and then slid his hand up touching her buttocks on the outside of her swimsuit," court document say.
"He was seen swimming around with his arms out, touching many people, but no one else came forward."
The 13-year-old victim told interviewers "the male was following her and cornered her in an area of the pool where she said he tried to touch her, but she was able to swim away from him," the affidavit says.
"She said he invaded her personal space making her feel very uncomfortable and sick to her stomach. She also stated remembering his eyes and that he appeared 'excited' coming towards her."
The children's mother said she saw she saw the same man at the pool the prior week, and her younger daughter "referred to him as 'the creepy man.'"
Post Miranda, Lopez Gutierrez "maintained the fact that today was the first time he went to the rec center, and when I challenged him to do that, he said he had been there maybe once or twice before, but denied being there the many previous days."
Lopez was transported to the Utah County jail, where he remained listed as an inmate as of Tuesday afternoon.
