The murder trial of a 27-year-old Burmese refugee continues today. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Esar Met is accused of raping and killing 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo back in 2008. The girl lived in the same South Salt Lake apartment complex as Esar Met. Authorities say that the girl’s murder occurred about a month …
Former Ben Lomond High School swim coach Jamie Jo Waite was recently denied a new trial in her sex abuse case. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the 37-year-old former volunteer coach’s motion for a new trial was denied by 2nd District Judge Scott Hadley. Judge Hadley said that none of the six issues that …
Jamie Jo Waite denied a new trial in Ben Lomond High School sex abuse case Read More »
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 …
Derrick Starley placed on probation for having sex with a teen Read More »
Attempted sex crimes are one of the most complicated areas of Utah criminal law. Unlike crimes such as rape and sexual assault, the prosecution of a solicitation crime is characterized by applying vague laws to highly subjective fact-intensive situations. The Supreme Court of Utah recently clarified the difference between solicitation of a minor and an …
The difference between solicitation and attempts to commit sex crimes in Utah Read More »
Sandy police have arrested a 24-year-old man who they allege carried on a relationship with a 13-year-old girl. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the two started a relationship on Facebook and eventually met in person and had sexual relations. The alleged underage sex crimes occurred three times in Salt Lake City. Although the sex …
Sandy man arrested for drug and underage sex crimes Read More »
In our last post we discussed a successful appeal of a Utah child sex abuse conviction. Successful appeals can be based on a variety of factors such as errors in legal reasoning at the trail court level, prosecutorial misconduct, or ineffective assistance of defense counsel. Criminal appeals based on ineffective assistance of counsel are among …
An appeals court recently overturned the conviction of a Utah man for aggravated sexual abuse of a child. In Utah, sexual abuse of a child is a second degree felony. Aggravated sexual abuse of a child is a first degree penalty that can carry a minimum 15 year prison sentence. A person can be convicted …
A former Pleasant Grove teacher was sentenced to prison time after allegedly having sex with two 16-year-old students. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the 28-year-old teacher was the soccer coach for the girls. A judge recently gave the former teacher a 20 year prison sentence for abusing the Liahona Preparatory Academy students. Authorities say …
Pleasant Grove Teacher Sentenced to Prison For Sex Crimes Read More »
A former swimming coach at Ben Lomond High School was recently sentenced to 210 days in jail for allegedly having sex with one of her students. Authorities say that the 37-year-old North Ogden woman carried on a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old member of the swim team. The former coach denies having had sex with …
Retrial requested in swim coach’s sex abuse trial Read More »
A Utah man recently lost his appeal of his aggravated sexual assault convictions. The man’s convictions stem from an interaction he had with his live-in girlfriend one summer after a heavy day of drinking. The couple reportedly spent the day and evening drinking vodka and then got into the shower together at their home. The …
Court: gas station assault and rape were not a “single criminal episode” Read More »