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PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Payson, Utah, resident charged with sexual assault has pleaded not guilty.
The Daily Herald reports that 22-year-old Toby Howarth pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree rape and third-degree tampering with a witness.
He is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Payson police officers interviewed the girl in January 2016. She reported that Howarth assaulted her at her home in Payson in November 2015.
Howarth was interviewed by police and said he never touched the girl.
Police reports say the girl said Howarth used a towel after he assaulted her. Several towels and mouth swabs were sent for testing. The results came back in July 2017, matching the DNA on the towel with samples from Howarth.
Howarth was arrested in July 2017.
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