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TAYLORSVILLE — A Taylorsville man is facing numerous charges accusing him of preying on a vulnerable teenager and sexually abusing her multiple times.
Dean L. Smith, Jr., 43, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with forcible sodomy, two counts of object rape and four counts of rape, first-degree felonies; forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; child endangerment, a third-degree felony; and two counts of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors.
The investigation began when Taylorsville police received a report that a missing 16-year-old girl who had been listed as a runaway was located near 5000 South and 1500 West. The teen told detectives she met Smith in Salt Lake City and he took her to his residence, where between Sept. 10 through Sept. 19 she "felt like she could not leave," according to charging documents.
The girl said Smith provided her with drugs, that she was afraid of him and he sexually abused her multiple times, the charges allege.
"(Smith) picked up a young girl off the street who was clearly vulnerable and needed help and took her back to his home. The defendant provided the victim illegal drugs. The defendant had sex with the victim multiple times despite concern about her young age and the large age gap between the two," according to the charges.
Smith "thought the juvenile victim did appear young," but claimed the girl told him she was 18, even though she didn't provide identification when he asked for it, he allegedly told officers when he was arrested.
