Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Uriel Quijano Vazquez, 23, is facing new charges of rape and forcible sodomy of a teen girl.
- He is accused of providing alcohol to a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her.
- This is the third instance in less than a year he's been charged and is accused of the same pattern of abusing teens.
WEST VALLEY CITY — For the second time in three months and the third time in less than a year, a West Valley man is facing charges related to providing alcohol or drugs to teen girls he met on social media and then sexually abusing them.
Uriel Quijano Vazquez, 23, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with rape and two counts of forcible sodomy, first-degree felonies; and sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
On Feb. 22, Vazquez met a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat and sent an Uber to her residence to pick her up. When the teen arrived, she and Vazquez drank alcohol in a truck parked in front of his house and then he sexually assaulted her, according to charging documents.
While in the truck, the teen "sent text messages to family members asking for help and stated she wasn't safe," the charges state. The girl's mother was able to track her daughter's location and asked a family friend to drive by the address and check on her.
"When he arrived, (the friend) observed (the teen) exit a truck and a male exit the vehicle, pull his pants up, and walk into the residence. (The friend) said he picked (the teen) up, and she told him that she had been raped. (He) then drove her to the hospital," the charges say.
Vazquez is already facing similar charges filed in January in 3rd District Court. He was charged Jan. 8 with rape and forcible sodomy, first-degree felonies; sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual solicitation of a child, second-degree felonies; and unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a third-degree felony. In that case, he is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and providing her with drugs. Police searched Vazquez's phone as part of their investigation and "located approximately 50 videos of underage females engaged in sexual activity," according to charging documents.
Last July, Vazquez was arrested and charged in a third case with multiple counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual solicitation of a child for allegedly giving a teen girl alcohol in exchange for sex.
However, after a judge granted Vazquez's request to be released from jail and ordered him to home confinement and to wear an ankle monitor, "the victim in this matter stopped cooperating with the court proceedings upon learning of (his) release" and prosecutors were forced to dismiss the case on Feb. 13, just nine days before his current arrest.
"(Vazquez's) modus operandi is clear: lure the minor victim through Snapchat under the guise of alcohol or drugs, sexually assault the victims, and then record the encounter. (Vazquez) is a clear danger to young girls within the community and clearly has no regard for this court or this court's orders," prosecutors wrote in charging documents while requesting that Vazquez not be given the opportunity to post bail this time pending trial.
