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FARMINGTON — A Farmington man who police say was helping a teenage girl develop a workout routine is now accused of sexually assaulting the girl.
Samuel Wallace Cantrell, 48, was charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with two counts of object rape, a first-degree felony, and lewdness, a class B misdemeanor.
Cantrell helped a 14-year-old girl "with her strength training workouts at his home gym," according to charging documents.
In May, while at Cantrell's house and after Cantrell's wife and children had left to run errands, Cantrell "began a sexually explicit conversation" with the girl before inappropriately touching her, the charges state.
When the family returned, the girl left the house. Cantrell followed her out the door and again tried to encourage the girl to engage in sexual conduct, to which she declined, according to the charges.
The girl told her mother the next morning what had happened and police were contacted.
A search of Cantrell's cellphones and social media accounts revealed that "in the months leading up to this incident, Cantrell engaged in behavior toward (the girl) that is consistent with sexual grooming," the charging documents allege.
In the weeks before the assault, Cantrell would tell the girl about problems in his marriage, and during exercise sessions at his house would inappropriately touch her, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Prosecutors have requested Cantrell be held without bail.
