A South Carolina man facing rape and sexual abuse charges made his first appearance in Third District Court Monday morning.
Dale Aaron Ford, Jr., 22, is charged with first-degree felony object rape charges and second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse charges related to an incident involving an underage victim in 2013.
According to a probable cause statement from the Utah Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Ford met the victim during a wedding they both attended. After the wedding, the victim returned to their home with a friend, their sister and Ford.
While the group watched a movie, Ford put a blanket over himself and the victim. After the light in the room was turned off, he held the victim close to him and then allegedly proceeded to touch the victim in a sexual manner, the statement said.
According to the statement, the victim said an attempt was made to pull away from Ford, but he did not stop. The victim also said Ford put his hand on their throat and threatened to choke them if they screamed.
The victim eventually told their mother about the incident and about a week later went to a hospital, where multiple scratches and bruises from the encounter were documented, the statement said.
Ford is being held in the Tooele County Detention Center on $75,000 bail. A roll call hearing for Ford has been scheduled for Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. in Tooele County Court.