Search warrants unsealed in West Jordan sex assault investigation

Search warrants unsealed in West Jordan sex assault investigation

(Salt Lake County Jail)


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WEST JORDAN — Nearly a month after two teen girls accused a convicted sex offender of kidnapping and assaulting them, no charges have been filed in the case.

But West Jordan police say their investigation into Andrew James Gwilliam, 35, is still active, and newly unsealed search warrants gave more details into the type of evidence that has been collected.

On Nov. 6, police were called to the Hampton Inn, 3923 W. Center Park Drive, on a report of two 14-year-old girls allegedly being "held hostage and … sexually assaulted," according to a search warrant affidavit filed on Nov. 7 in 3rd District Court.

The girls originally told detectives that a car with three men, including Gwilliam, who was driving, pulled up as they were walking along 6200 South to go to a 7-Eleven and forced them to get in. The girls originally told police that Gwilliam ordered them to "be quiet or he (would) kill them," the warrant states.

But a couple of days after Gwilliam was arrested, police announced they were no longer looking for two additional men, and they were not pursuing kidnapping charges against Gwilliam. The investigation into his arrest on suspicion of two counts of forcible sexual abuse, however, continued.

The girls told police that inside a third-floor room at the Hampton, Gwilliam attempted to sexually assault them. The girls told police they grabbed his car keys and ran when he went into the bathroom, according to the affidavit.

"They were unable to locate the car and later ran and told a maintenance worker. The maintenance worker advised the front desk, who contacted police. (Gwilliam) later went to the front desk and asked for an additional key to his room. The clerk had already contacted police regarding this incident, and 'stalled' until police could arrive and take (Gwilliam) into custody," the warrant states.

West Jordan police have characterized the girls as being "uncooperative" with detectives.

Police have since been trying to piece together exactly what happened and why Gwilliam, a registered sex offender, was allegedly with the two girls.

According to three search warrants, detectives reviewed surveillance video from the hotel and found Gwilliam "carrying what appeared to be a white sheet. (Gwilliam) opened the front passenger door of his vehicle and placed the sheet on the passenger floorboard."

"A warrant was obtained for the hotel room. (Police) learned a sheet on the bed appeared to contain blood and possible bodily fluids. Detectives reported there was an additional white sheet missing from the hotel room," search warrants state.

Detectives seized the white sheet, which was placed inside a garbage bag, along with a camera, memory cards, a laptop computer, "what appears to be a used condom, (and a) bag of used Kleenex tissues," the warrant states. The tissues were found in a garbage can in the bathroom, another warrant states.

A third search warrant stated that an envelope with two room keys found on a nightstand was seized by police.

Between 2001 and 2002, Gwilliam used either a gun or a knife when he kidnapped six young girls and women — ranging in age from 12 to 20 — over a seven-month period in the Sandy area.

Gwilliam pleaded guilty to attempted forcible sexual abuse and two counts of aggravated kidnapping in those incidents. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed charges of attempted child kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping and two counts of attempted aggravated kidnapping.

Gwilliam was sentenced to 10 years to life at the Utah State Prison. He was granted credit for time served during his arrest and was released in January 2012.

During his sentencing in 2003, it was noted that he apparently began behaving strangely after suffering a severe head injury while serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His defense attorney at the time said his neurological problems could be treated with medication and therapy.

Gwilliam was being held in the Utah State Prison on Tuesday on a parole violation.

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Pat Reavy

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