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SALT LAKE CITY — A Riverton man was charged Monday with providing drugs to a girl he met on social media and sexually assaulting her multiple times.
Calan Nelson Clifford, 29, is charged in 3rd District Court with forcible sodomy, drug distribution and two counts of rape, first-degree felonies; plus sexual exploitation of a minor and drug distribution, second-degree felonies.
Clifford met a 14-year-old girl on Snapchat in late December and began sending messages to the girl, "asking her to engage in sexual activity with him, meet up in person, and to take naked pictures of herself for him," according to charging documents. He also "offered her things in exchange, including nicotine and THC dab."
The first time the two met in person, Clifford picked up the girl from school, drove to a nearby parking lot and exchanged nicotine and THC for sexual acts, the charges state.
In February, Clifford again picked up the girl and drove to his home where he sexually assaulted her, the charges state.
Then in March, he picked up the girl from school again, under the guise of buying her lunch, then gave her GHB while she was in his vehicle, according to the charges. GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is sometimes referred to as the "date rape drug."
After taking the drug, the girl later told police say felt "loopy" and "fuzzy" and "began to pass in and out of consciousness," the charges say. She "woke up gasping for breath and needing to throw up," and found all her clothing had been removed.
The girl's mother found her in Clifford's truck by tracking her cellphone, the charges state. The girl was immediately taken to a local hospital.
Prosecutors have requested that Clifford be held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail pending trial, noting that in addition to the serious nature of this crime, he is also a "suspect in a similar case involving a different juvenile victim."
"Calan being released on a bail would put him back into the public where he can continue to groom and hurt minor girls sexually and with drugs," the arresting officer wrote in a police booking affidavit.
