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WEST JORDAN — Three women shared stories of how they were abused by a businessman and administrator of a popular Facebook group for singles as he was being sentenced this week for charges in two counties.
Kevin Linford, 46, of West Jordan, was scheduled to be sentenced for three cases in the 3rd District Court on Friday. However, because of an error in paperwork, Judge Matthew Bates scheduled a new date for the sentencing next Friday.
Still, Bates allowed two women who did not want to wait to share their comments to speak about their experience with the man to a full courtroom on Friday; one said others in the audience were also victims of Linford.
A woman told the judge she had known Linford for a few months and thought he was trying to help her avoid a man who was saying inappropriate things to her when Linford asked her to dance and then brought her out of the room. But then she says he pressed her against a wall and assaulted her.
"Thoughts of rape and even potential death crossed my mind. I was so afraid," she said.
The woman said she completely trusted Linford when she followed him behind the stage.
"He acts very smooth and charismatic in his efforts to get women in compromising situations," she said.
She and her husband reported the assault to the police the next day, and she has waited for justice for seven years. The woman said the experience changed her — she stopped wearing makeup, going out and dancing. She said she also has needed to see counselors and does not trust others.
"My self-worth is literally catastrophically damaged," she said.
She said Linford deserves to be held accountable and have his freedom and rights taken away to be able to experience some of the trauma he caused her and many others.
Another woman said Friday that she met Linford at a birthday party with mostly friends she knew well and she thought she could trust him.
"That experience changed my life, but I will not let that experience define my life," she said.
The woman said when she showed up at the first hearing, Linford didn't recognize who she was — which she said told her there are many victims, so many he can't keep track of them.
She forgave Linford and said her heart is broken for his other victims, and his family and children.
Linford pleaded guilty in three different 3rd District Court cases to one count of rape, a first-degree felony, and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
As a result of a plea deal, four counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; one count of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony; and one count of lewdness, a class B misdemeanor; were dismissed.
Convictions after a Fruit Heights party
Linford was sentenced on Sept. 8 in 2nd District Court to serve five years to life in prison after pleading guilty to charges of rape and attempted object rape, both first-degree felonies; and forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
Eight other charges against Linford were dismissed as part of the same plea deal that took into account the 3rd District Court charges.
The Davis County charges stemmed from accusations made by five women at the singles party on Aug. 6, 2022, at a Fruit Heights home.
Amy Barlow was one of those women, and she told KSL-TV on Thursday she was helping to chaperone her neighbor's event when she had an unnerving encounter with a stranger who grabbed her hand. She said Linford later grew even more aggressive toward her by the pool when he gently grabbed her feet and pulled her in.
"I'm trying to pull my dress down with the water, which is not working very well, and then it was the second time he grabbed my hand and, you know, forced me to touch him. And so at that point, I turned my back — and there were several people in the pool, by the way, there were probably 10 or 15 people in the pool — and as I turned around, that's when the assault happened," Barlow said.
Barlow said words initially escaped her, but she was finally able to scream and get away as others came to her aid.
"It's very brazen," Barlow said. "He had no fear, he just like went for it."
It was only afterward that Barlow learned she wasn't the only one assaulted at that party as others came and told her what happened to them.
Barlow described a difficult process for her and the other women coming to terms emotionally and said some were left with deep, lasting trauma.
"He did apologize in court. He admitted that he was guilty, he admitted that he didn't know us, he admitted that there was no consent — so hearing those words was a relief. Does it make it any less painful? I don't know," she said about Linford's sentencing.
She expressed fear that there are still women out there who have not come forward with their experiences and she hopes her story would be empowering to them.
