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PROVO — A therapist has been arrested for investigation of raping a former juvenile patient multiple times at a youth treatment center.
Jason Scott Calder, 41, of Bountiful, was arrested Monday by the Utah County Sheriff's Office for investigation of rape, 10 counts of forcible sodomy and forcible sexual abuse.
Calder, who worked at a youth treatment center in Utah County, is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl on numerous occasions between March and June, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
His job at the facility was to "provide therapy and treatment for troubled youth who were in need of this type of assistance," according to a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court.
"The victim told investigators this abuse occurred during scheduled therapy sessions with Calder while she was a resident in the same inpatient youth treatment facility where Calder worked at the time," the sheriff's office said in a prepared statement.
Co-workers who noticed Calder's interaction with the girl appeared to be inappropriate, told investigators that the therapy sessions Calder had with the teen, "sometimes occurred late at night and they included walks outside of the facility. Night time sessions and these type of walks did not occur with other girls to whom he was providing therapy," according to the affidavit.
Calder "became very friendly with her and these sessions turned into personal conversations," the affidavit noted, while also stating that when police interviewed the teen, she knew "details about therapist Calder's private and personal life that typically a juvenile patient in counseling would not have knowledge."
During one counseling session, Calder had the girl take her clothes off, the affidavit stated. The pattern was repeated at subsequent sessions when Calder would sexually assault the teen, according to the affidavit.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit served a search warrant on his home on Monday.
Calder was fired from the residential treatment center in Utah County but recently employed at a residential treatment center in Salt Lake County, the sheriff's office stated.
Calder is licensed as a clinical mental health counselor and a marriage and family therapist, according to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing's website. According to a web search, Calder worked as a marital therapist at 1135 Vine St. in Murray.
His LinkedIn also lists him as program director for a center in Salt Lake County and formerly a clinical director at a Utah County facility. He also practiced in Montana, according to his web page.
Because he has worked in Salt Lake and Utah counties for a number of years, deputies noted in their affidavit, "the potential for other victims in this case is extremely high. In the hopes that this arrest will encourage these other victims to come forward and due to the manner in which therapist Calder repeatedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl to whom he was supposed to be providing help, counsel, and support, it is requested that an extremely high, cash only bail be set in this case."
