- Jacob David Shelley, 47, faces an aggravated child abuse charge for allegedly assaulting a teen at a concert.
- The incident occurred Aug. 23 at a concert in West Valley City.
WEST VALLEY CITY — A Salt Lake man was charged Wednesday with knocking out a 17-year-old girl three times during a concert at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre.
Jacob David Shelley, 47, is charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony.
A 17-year-old girl was with friends at the outdoor amphitheater in West Valley City on Aug. 23, when the main act, $uicideboy$, went on stage.
"She and her friends decided to move closer to the stage for a better view. (She) said as they moved through the crowd, they encountered a man, later identified as Jacob Shelley," according to charging documents.
Shelley allegedly grabbed one of the girl's friends and said they could not be in that area.
"(The teen) told Shelley that he did not have the authority to dictate where they stood. However, he continued to block her and her friends from moving forward," the charges state.
The girl said Shelley's teen daughter then began "harassing" her by "stepping on her shoes, kicking her ankles and pulling her hair. (The teen) said that she tried to ignore the harassment but eventually pushed (the daughter), which led to a physical altercation between herself and (the daughter)," according to the charges.
During the altercation between the two teenage girls, Shelley punched the teen in the face, "causing her to lose consciousness," charging documents allege. (She) said she regained consciousness and attempted to stand, but Shelley struck her again, causing her to lose consciousness a second time. (She) said she regained consciousness a second time and observed Shelley standing over her and was then stomped on her face, causing her to lose consciousness again."
When she regained consciousness again, the 17-year-old found herself in a wheelchair that paramedics brought into the concert area to move the girl out.
One of the people working security that night at the concert told investigators that he watched Shelley "off a female," while another said Shelley "continued to punch" the girl and had to be pushed over a railing to get him to stop, the charging documents say. "Medical records show (the teen) suffered a right nasal bone fracture and a forehead scalp hematoma."
Prosecutors say rather than breaking up the fight between the victim and his daughter, Shelley "pummeled the victim in the face, causing her to lose consciousness. While the victim was on the ground, (he) continued to strike her and stomp on her, making her lose consciousness two additional times," according to the charges.
Even if Shelley was acting in self-defense at first, or in defense of others, prosecutors say he continued to punch the girl after being pulled off of her the first time.
"While the defendant does not have any notable criminal history, the defendant's actions in this matter are concerning and egregious" and his "out-of-control actions not only put this victim in danger, but the hundreds of concertgoers as well," the court documents state.
Although Shelley was released to pre-trial services after being arrested, prosecutors have requested a warrant be issued for his arrest and that he be held in the Salt Lake County Jail pending trial.
"Had the state been given the opportunity to review this matter and obtain necessary medical information while (Shelley) was in custody, the state would have requested (he) be held in custody without bail," the charges say.
