Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Police are asking for the public's help in locating a man wanted on charges of rape of a child.
Chervon Jason Laptiste, 40, was charged June 12 in 3rd District Court with three counts of rape of a child, three counts of sodomy on a child, and three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, all first-degree felonies. He was also charged with dealing in harmful materials to a minor and witness tampering, both third-degree felonies.
The alleged victim told police that from the time she was 12 to 13 years old, Laptiste would make her watch pornographic videos and then "had sex with her in the same manner as the pornographic videos," according to charging documents.
Anyone with information on Laptiste can call police at 801-799-3000 or text "TIPSLCPD" to 274637.
Laptiste also threatened the girl that if she told anyone, "she would be taken away from her mother," the charges state.
The girl is now 15. Laptiste was last seen in the Salt Lake area.
Laptiste has a long criminal history in Utah, including a 2004 conviction on an amended charge of attempted retaliation against a witness. He is about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds.
