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SALT LAKE CITY — A wanted fugitive accused by the Utah Attorney General's Office in a human trafficking case has been arrested by U.S. Marshals.
Dustin Giles Andrus, 35, of Kamas, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Thursday. He had been on the run since a no-bail arrest warrant was issued on Jan. 14.
On Jan. 29, the Utah Attorney General's Office issued a press release asking for the public's help in finding Andrus. According to the statement, Andrus had fled from Clearfield police the week before, leading them on a high-speed chase that was called off due to public safety.
Andrus was charged in January in 2nd District Court with rape, recruiting or harboring a child for sexual exploitation, and aggravated sexual extortion of a child, all first-degree felonies; sexual exploitation of a child and drug distribution, both second-degree felonies; four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16-year-old, a third-degree felony; two counts of enticing a minor, a class A misdemeanor; and drug possession, a class B misdemeanor.
Andrus met a 16-year-old girl on social media in September 2019, and according to charging documents, they arranged to meet in person several times during which Andrus either provided drugs to the girl or engaged in sexual conduct with her.
In February 2020, Andrus took the girl to his house where she was provided alcohol and drank "to the point of being dizzy, unable to walk straight and feeling like she could not move," according to charging documents. Andrus then raped the girl despite being told "no," the charges state.
"After the incident at Andrus' house, Andrus told the victim he had cameras in his house, and he had a video of him 'doing things' to her. Andrus threatened to post this video online if (the girl) did not continue to have a sexual relationship with him," according to charging documents.
Police became involved in the investigation in September and in October took over the girl's Snapchat account to communicate with Andrus, the charges state.
On Jan. 12, a warrant was served at Andrus' home where a pair of the girl's underwear was found, according to the charges.
Andrus is already on the Utah Sex Offender Registry for a 2004 conviction of enticing a minor.
