Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Police at the University of Utah have arrested a 31-year-old man they say was "aggressively" fondling women on campus.
Gary Fotheringham, who police believe is homeless, was arrested for investigation of forcible sexual abuse and voyeurism Friday, U. Police Lt. Mike McPharlin said. Fotheringham is accused of committing five separate criminal offenses on Nov. 4.
"There were two cases where he was in a women's locker room on campus using a camera to take pictures of women," McPharlin said. "He went from that to an incident where he fondled a woman on campus near Orson Spencer Hall."
Fotheringham then allegedly fondled two more women "aggressively" — one just off of campus near 1300 East and 300 South and another on campus near the Humanities building, he said.
"In both of the incidences where the nature of the incidents was more aggressive, he was scared off by witnesses who heard the women screaming," McPharlin said. "I hate to think what might have happened if not for those citizens."
Police believe the attacks were random and say there were no unique, common characteristics about each of the women.
"They just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time," McPharlin said.
He said investigators had Fotheringham on their radar since a similar incident in July 2010 and they quickly identified him as the suspect in the attacks. Still, it was difficult to find the man, who apparently lives in his car.
"We want to keep the University of Utah campus safe," McPharlin said. "We worked this very quickly."
Fotheringham was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Friday. His bail was set at $200,000.
Email:emorgan@ksl.com
