<snip>I can imagine that this guy is going to claim that everything was consensual. But that's BS. He knew that she was reported missing. It had to be all over the news. And then police were searching the area, and he clearly lied to police.
If he pleads not guilty, the defense is going to have to try to prove that it was consensual and that she didn't contact her parents after learning they were searching for her because she didn't
want to, which is going to get very ugly and unpleasant for her and her family.
The charges he's facing:
Utah Code §
76-5-302:
An actor commits
aggravated kidnapping if the actor, in the course of committing unlawful detention or kidnapping ... uses or threatens to use a dangerous weapon as defined in Section
76-1-601; or ... acts with intent: ... to inflict bodily injury on or to terrorize the victim or another individual [or] ... to commit a sexual offense as described in
Title 76, Chapter 5, Part 4, Sexual Offenses. ... Aggravated kidnapping is a
first degree felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of: ...
life without parole, if the trier of fact finds that during the course of the commission of the aggravated kidnapping the defendant caused serious bodily injury to the victim or another individual; or ... life without parole, if the trier of fact finds that at the time of the commission of the aggravated kidnapping, the defendant was previously convicted of a grievous sexual offense.
Utah Code §
76-5-402 &
76-5-402.2:
A person commits
rape when the actor has sexual intercourse with another person without the victim's consent ... Rape is a
felony of the first degree, punishable by a term of imprisonment of: ... not less than
five years and which may be for life; ... 15 years and which may be for life, if the trier of fact finds that: ... during the course of the commission of the rape the defendant caused serious bodily injury to another; or ... life without parole, if the trier of fact finds that at the time of the commission of the rape the defendant was previously convicted of a grievous sexual offense.
Utah Code §
76-8-306:
An actor commits
obstruction of justice if the actor, with intent to hinder, delay, or prevent the investigation, apprehension, prosecution, conviction, or punishment of any person regarding conduct that constitutes a criminal offense ... prevents by force, intimidation, or deception, any person from performing any act that might aid in the discovery, apprehension, prosecution, conviction, or punishment of any person ... alters, destroys, conceals, or removes any item or other thing; ... [or] provides false information regarding a suspect, a witness, the conduct constituting an offense, or any other material aspect of the investigation. Obstruction of justice is: a
second degree felony if the conduct which constitutes an offense would be a capital felony or first degree felony.
