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ENOCH, Iron County — An employee at a southern Utah residential treatment center for girls has been arrested and accused of kissing a 15-year-old client and sharing his vape pen with her and other girls, according to police.
Kylar Fredrick Williams, 23, was booked into the Iron County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of sexual abuse of a minor, and three counts of providing an electronic cigarette or tobacco to a minor.
Williams was an employee at Zion Hills Academy, 5088 N. Veterans Memorial Drive, according to a police booking affidavit. In January, Williams kissed a teen client at the academy multiple times and grabbed her buttocks, the affidavit states.
"Williams would allow the female to use his vape pen after he would kiss her. The female was taking the vape pen in the bathroom with two other juvenile females to use it. Williams was aware that all three juvenile females were using the vape pen," according to the affidavit.
Police say there is video evidence of at least one of the times Williams kissed the girl.
Zion Hills is a "residential treatment center for young women from ages 12 through 17 that is expert in treating complex trauma and attachment related issues," according to its website.
According to the academy, it was management at the facility who witnessed some of the alleged misbehavior and were the ones who called police to investigate.
"Despite our system of background checks, management personnel observed possible misconduct on the part of a recently hired male employee. When security video appeared to confirm the suspicion, we immediately reported the matter to local police and our state regulators and provided that video evidence. The employee was immediately terminated. Local law enforcement took the matter from there and responded appropriately, for which we are grateful," Ken Huey, the director of Havenwood Academy programs which includes Zion Hills Academy, said in prepared statement Wednesday.
