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HEBER CITY — A southern Utah man was charged Thursday with sexually assaulting a teenage girl during a high school rodeo event.
Traylen Alexander Young, 19, of Hurricane, Washington County, is charged in 4th District Court with object rape and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies; and, forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
A 16-year-old girl says she was at the Wasatch County Event Center on May 5 to attend the Utah State High School Rodeo Finals with friends and also a dance being held after the competition. At the arena, she told police she met Young and began talking to him.
By the end of the night, the girl's friends had left and she found herself alone with Young. Young told the girl she could meet his friends, then he would take her to her vehicle, according to a police booking affidavit.
"Traylen was holding her arm and leading her out of the practice arena into a hallway that is located in between the main arena and the practice arena where the dance was located," the affidavit states. "Treylen was pulling on her arm and pulled her into the hallway."
Young then pulled the teen into a bathroom, locked the door behind him and sexually assaulted her, the affidavit alleges.
The girl was eventually able to fight off Young and run out of the bathroom. She told police that Young told her he was a "bull rider," according to the affidavit.
A Wasatch County sheriff's deputy was able to identify Young, and then called him and arranged a meeting.
"I told him that I would tell him in person what I was investigating when we meet. Traylen than told me that he didn't touch anyone. I asked him why he would say this and he told me that he has been accused in the past from girls," the affidavit says.
Police say at first, Young claimed nothing had happened. Then he said he mutually kissed the girl in the bathroom but nothing else happened, according to the affidavit.
"I asked Traylen why he didn't tell me this at first during our interview. Traylen said he was afraid and has a lot to lose being that he is a bull rider and will lose his sponsorships if he gets into any kind of trouble," the affidavit states.
