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KEARNS — A Kearns man has been charged with threatening to "hunt down" a teenager if she wouldn't have sex with him.
Patrick Mecham, 40, was charged Tuesday with aggravated sexual extortion, a first-degree felony; two counts of distributing or arranging to distribute a controlled substance, one second-degree felony and one third-degree felony; six counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and five counts of endangering a child, third-degree felonies; and five counts of enticing a minor, class A misdemeanors.
Police began investigating Mecham after the teenager's grandmother told officers in February that she believed Mecham was having sex with her 16-year-old granddaughter, according to charging documents.
The girl told police she first had sexual contact with Mecham when she was 15 or 16 years old, the charges say, and the two had sex at least five times since then.
Between October and March, Mecham sent the teenager text messages on multiple occasions saying he wanted to engage in sexual acts with her, according to police.
At one point, the girl said, Mecham texted her and said he would "hunt her down" if she did not have sex with him, the charges state. She allegedly told police she felt pressured to have sex with Mecham because she was afraid he would hurt her.
The teenager said she and Mecham smoked methamphetamine nearly every time they had sex, according to the charges. She also said Mecham also gave her meth once when she was 13 years old, and that he gave her marijuana at least five times over the course of their involvement.
