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KEARNS — A West Valley man is facing more than 80 felony charges for alleged sex crimes against children over the past 30 years, including when he was a Boy Scout leader.
Charles Shelton Bates, 61, was charged with a total of 84 crimes on Thursday in 3rd District Court including 25 counts of forcible sodomy, six counts of sodomy on a child, six counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, four counts of attempted forcible sodomy, four counts of object rape, and attempted sodomy on a child, first-degree felonies; 30 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of forcible sexual abuse, second-degree felonies; victim retaliation and aggravated kidnapping, third-degree felonies; and stalking, a class A misdemeanor.
Prosecutors say the alleged abuse started in 1986 and the last known case was in 2022. The charges reflect abuse to at least a half dozen victims, not all of whom met Bates through the Scouting program.
"We hope that the filing of these charges help the victim-survivors see that their community is working together to bring them justice. This office will provide the resources necessary through our Survivor and Victim Services Division to help these victim-survivors heal from their traumatic experiences," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Thursday. "We appreciate the years of investigation by Unified Police Department that helped collect the necessary evidence which led to the filing of these charges."
Unified police say much of the abuse happened at Bates's Kearns residence and at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center swimming pool. At least two boys told investigators they were abused while participating in the Boy Scouts of America beginning as early as 2007.
A witness told investigators that Bates was a Scout leader and "groomed" boys back then, according to charging documents.
One boy said he was abused when he would "go to Charles' house under the guise of working on and earning merit badges for the Boy Scouts, a police booking affidavit alleges. "These incidents (of abuse) occurred in Charles' bedroom and the community pool family bathroom."
Another boy told detectives that he met Bates through the Scouting program and the abuse began with Bates taking pictures of him, claiming it was for "Boy Scouts," the charges state. The pictures evolved into frequent sexual abuse, according to the charges.
Unified police seized several CDs belonging to Bates that contained child sex abuse material, the charges say. A total of 134 photos of child sex abuse material were found, including images of at least two boys who police identified as victims for his arrest.
"(Bates) not only sexually abused these victims, but he also produced child pornography with two of the victims, posing them in a manner he wanted, snapping photos of them, and then keeping (the photos) until they were turned in to the police department by his family in 2022.
"The victims, in this case, experienced a magnitude of abuse at the hands of (Bates)," the charges continued. "While the state is filing charges related to events that occurred over the last 36-plus years, it believes it's essential to recognize that (he) forced each of these victims to engage in sexual activity each time they were together, resulting in well over 51 sexual assaults, as filed in this case. (Bates) using coercion tactics and grooming, forced each victim to engage in sexual activity with him, and the number of charges filed does not diminish the abuse that these victims had to endure."
