Estimated read time: 3-4 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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 — It's been a year and a half since a Price photographer was arrested for investigation of forcible sexual abuse, but no criminal charges have been filed.
Levan W. Hall, 63, now says the Carbon County Attorney's Office has declined to prosecute the case. The attorney's office, however, said Wednesday it could still formally file charges in the future but would not comment directly on whether the case has been declined.
In June 2017, Hall, who runs Levan Hall's Creations, was arrested for investigation of forcible sexual abuse, stalking, lewdness and electronic communication harassment. A few days later, a stalking injunction was filed against him in 7th District Court by the woman who police said was the victim in the sex abuse investigation. The temporary stalking injunction was dismissed in February 2018, according to court records.
Hall, who opened a private photography business after being a teacher in the Carbon School District for 34 years, told KSL that he "became involved with a model" who later fabricated her version of events to investigators.
"She lied to the police, nothing she said was proved," he said.
Hall further stated that the officer who arrested him "was way aggressive thinking he had something without any other proof than one person."
He believes charges were not filed due to a lack of evidence.
The woman claimed Hall had been stalking her for several months, according to a prepared statement from the Price Police Department in 2017.
"It was learned that after a legitimate business contact with the alleged suspect’s photography business, inappropriate criminal behavior began occurring," police stated in 2017.
Price Police Chief Kevin Drolc defended his department's investigation on Thursday.
"We had a credible victim make a complaint against him. As a result he was arrested," he said. "I think based on the information we received from both the victim and Mr. Hall, there was enough to forward (the case) to the county attorney for their final determination."
The police report obtained by KSL states that the woman initially contacted Hall about doing a photo shoot so she could give pictures to her husband. But police felt, based on the woman's statements and Facebook messages Hall sent her, that he was "grooming" her to do more provocative pictures, according to the report.
Hall then started showing up at the woman's place of employment, police say. One day, he waited for her in the parking lot of her work and exposed himself to her when she walked out, according to the report.
When interviewed by police, Hall said the contact was consensual but also said, "I push the limits," the report states.
"It was not even going to go that far … but it did," Hall told police, according to the report. "I was pushing buttons. And she was pushing my buttons."
Drolc said it's the prerogative of the county attorney's office to decide whether to proceed to trial after a case has been reviewed.
