Homeless man charged in Weber County with rape of 13-year-old runaway

OGDEN — A homeless man is charged with rape of a child stemming from his alleged relationship with a 13-year-old female runaway.

Weber County prosecutors on Monday filed charges against Matthew McCarty, 18, for rape of a child and object rape of a child, first-degree felonies, in 2nd District Court in Ogden. He is charged with a count for each offense.

Ogden authorities looked into the matter after receiving a tip from the Weber County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 20. A sheriff's office official "had contacted the victim's father, who relayed to him concerns about the victim's relationship with Matthew," the police booking affidavit states.

When Ogden authorities interviewed McCarty, he "initially denied ever having sex with the victim, but eventually admitted that approximately a month prior, they had attempted to have sex," the affidavit reads.

Judge Joseph Bean denied bail in the case on Tuesday and ordered that McCarty be held in the Weber County Jail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

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