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PROVO — A Highland man accused of sexual activity with a teenage girl who came to have sleepovers with his daughter has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Daniel Taggart, 51, pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempted sexual abuse of a child and three counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse. All four charges are third-degree felonies.
In his plea, Taggart admitted he "attempted to take indecent liberties with a female under the age of 14," with sexual intentions, as well as to "three or more occasions when the defendant made the same type of attempts upon the same victim after her 14th birthday."
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed to recommend consecutive prison sentences for Taggart. A sentencing hearing has been set for Jan. 15.
Taggart was arrested in March and was initially charged with two counts of object rape, a first-degree felony; forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony; forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; two counts of dealing in harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony; and two counts of supplying alcohol to a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
Police say Taggart provided alcohol for his teenage daughter and her friend at a sleepover last year, playing games with the girls and offering shot glasses and sex toys as prizes.
After the daughter had apparently fallen asleep, the teenager told police Taggart turned on a pornographic video and sexually assaulted her, according to charging documents.
When the girl reportedly returned for a sleepover a month later, she claims Taggart again gave her alcohol and sexually assaulted her, the charges state.
Taggart co-founded Ancestry.com in 1997 but is no longer with the company. He was the CEO of CubbyCode Inc. and Kringles Toys and Gifts at the time charges were filed, according to his profile on LinkedIn. He co-founded LDSAudio.com in September of 2003 and was CEO for a year. In 1990, he co-founded and ran Infobases Inc. for six years.
