A Cedar City, Utah, man was recently convicted of felony injury to a child. Authorities say that the man was serving on LDS mission when he had sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl.
The Idaho State Journal reports that the man was sentenced to probation and spent about 10 days in the Bannock County Jail in Idaho.
Underage sex crimes are common in Utah and often involve teen makes who have sex with females who are over the age of 15. In this case, prosecutors conducted a presentenced investigation report and psycho-sexual evaluation which showed that Derrick Starley was not likely to reoffend. The court also noted that Starley maintains a job, lives with his family in Cedar City, and had a lack of a criminal record.
Prosecutors did say that Starley had a pornography addiction, which he is currently undergoing treatment for. Starley says that the addiction began when he was 12 years old and that he hopes to correct his views of women and how they should be treated.
The Salt Lake City criminal defense team at Greg Smith & Associates handles sex abuse throughout Utah. If you or a loved one is under investigation or has been charged with a sex crime, call us at 801-651-1512 or contact us online.