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SALT LAKE CITY — Bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden is accused of raping a woman in a Sandy hotel room.
Rhoden, 44, was charged Thursday with rape and object rape, both first degree felonies, and forcible sexual abuse, a second degree felony.
The woman, a female competitive bodybuilder who described Rhoden as a mentor, went to visit Rhoden at his hotel on Oct. 12, 2018, while he was visiting Utah from California, according to the charging documents.
The woman told police that Rhoden forced himself on her and sexually assaulted her, despite her trying to push him away and telling him repeatedly to stop, the charges state. She said Rhoden stopped and let her leave when she told him she needed to go downstairs or else an acquaintance waiting in the lobby would know "something (was) up," according to the charges.
A DNA sample found on the woman's body was matched to Rhoden, police said.
A warrant for his arrest was issued Thursday.
Rhoden — nicknamed Shawn "Flexatron" Rhoden — currently holds the title of Mr. Olympia, awarded annually in an international bodybuilding competition affiliated with the IFBB Pro League.
Correction: A previous version incorrectly stated charges filed against bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden incorrectly stated the Mr. Olympia competition is sanctioned by the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness. The event is actually affiliated with the IFBB Pro League, which is not affiliated with the international federation.
