Utah

Utah County rape case gets fresh look as WVC police continue to seek suspect in attempted kidnap

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2023

Utah County rape case gets fresh look as WVC police continue to seek suspect in attempted kidnap

UTAH COUNTY, Utah — A previously inactive rape investigation centered around American Fork Canyon was getting a fresh look Wednesday as officers with the West Valley City Police Department continued to seek a suspect they said pretended to be a driver in distress as he attempted to kidnap a woman from a remote area of town.

On Monday, WVCPD investigators said a woman was driving along 5400 South near 7600 West at approximately 1:30 a.m. when she encountered a man who appeared to have car trouble on the side of the road.

According to detectives, when the woman tried to help, the man brandished a gun and forced her into the backseat of his car, attempting to assault her before she was able to escape.

The unknown man was still at large Wednesday when investigators with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a 2022 rape case that had been previously classified as inactive had shifted to an active investigation.

While a sheriff’s spokesman declined to comment on the case or any possible connections to the West Valley matter, he acknowledged the status of the American Fork Canyon case had shifted to active since news of the West Valley case came to light.

According to a police report obtained exclusively by the KSL Investigators in an unrelated public records request, a woman told deputies she was raped on July 2 in the Pine Hollow parking lot just off the Alpine Loop that overlooks the canyon.

The woman, according to the document, said she was approached after 7 p.m. by a man who asked for help with a potentially flat tire.

Once the man led the woman to the passenger side of his sedan, the woman told deputies he grabbed her and forced her into a rear door and onto the seat. There, the woman stated that the man sexually assaulted her before he shoved her out of the vehicle and drove away.

The man was described in the report as roughly 6 feet tall with a medium build, a thin nose and “thinner lips.”

Chris Bertram, a retired deputy police chief turned private investigator and associate professor of criminal justice at Salt Lake Community College, said because of the rarity of the type of approach used as well as other similarities, looking into a possible connection between the two cases makes sense.

“They’re unique,” Bertram told KSL TV. “When you talk about West Valley’s case — just by itself it’s a unique case. I think investigators need to determine if it was true and in this case, we have dash cam from the victim’s car that is very, very helpful and could be key to maybe breaking a bigger case or something bigger than just Utah.”

Bertram said both cases appeared to show a significant amount of planning.

“It looks like he’s concealing through paint, concealing some things on his car, maybe concealing his license plate,” Bertram said of the West Valley case. “That concerns me.”

He acknowledged the West Valley and American Fork cases could ultimately prove to be unrelated, but he said even in the event of two different suspects the patterns of behavior used in the crimes could suggest a person or persons capable of additional victims.

“I think it’s important that investigators look deeper than Utah,” Bertram said. “It’s not saying that this is somebody that’s a serial sex offender or a serial killer going around, but I do know that when we pay attention to case cases like this, they lead us to bigger cases.”

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Utah

Utah State Running Back Transfer Commits To South Carolina Over Florida State

Published

3 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Utah State Running Back Transfer Commits To South Carolina Over Florida State

Florida State came up short in its pursuit of a top running back transfer.

On Tuesday, Utah State running back transfer Rahsul Faison announced he was committing to South Carolina. Faison chose the Gamecocks over FSU, Alabama, North Carolina, UCLA, and UCF.

The Seminoles hosted Faison for a visit last weekend but he continued to take trips elsewhere. Florida State could very well kick the tires on another transfer during the spring window.

Faison spent two seasons with the Aggies and had a career year in 2024 where he rushed 198 times for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 99 yards. He had five games of 100+ rushing yards, including a season-high 20 carries for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 55-10 victory against Hawaii on November 16. He was named second-team All-Mountain West for his performance last fall.

During his first season at Utah State, Faison rushed 118 times for 736 yards and five touchdowns. In total, he appeared in 25 games, making 13 starts, and totaled 316 carries for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. Faison also caught 33 passes for 151 yards.

The Pennsylvania native signed with Marshall as a two-star prospect in 2019. He ultimately spent that season at the junior college level at Lackawanna College and was with the Thundering Herd in 2020. Faison didn’t appear in a game with either program and elected to go back to the JUCO level with Snow College. He rushed 88 times for 355 yards and six touchdowns prior to transferring to Utah State.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound running back has at least one season of eligibility remaining due to the new junior college ruling.

READ MORE: Elite FSU Quarterback Commitment Gets First Chance To Meet New OC Gus Malzahn

Florida State has six scholarship running backs eligible to return in 2025; redshirt senior Roydell Williams, redshirt senior Caziah Holmes, redshirt junior Jaylin Lucas, redshirt sophomore Samuel Singleton Jr., sophomore Kam Davis, and redshirt freshman Micahi Danzy.

The Seminoles signed four-star Ousmane Kromah during the Early Signing Period.

READ MORE: Standout Utah State Running Back Transfer Lists Florida State In Top-Six

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason

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• Florida State Adds FCS Quarterbacks Coach To Off-Field Staff

• Florida State Lands Explosive Tennessee Wide Receiver Transfer Squirrel White

• Florida State Secures Veteran Memphis Linebacker Transfer Elijah Herring

• Former FSU Defensive End, Seminole Legacy Transferring To Third School In Three Years

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Utah

Utah junior high teacher arrested for alleged possession of child porn

Published

11 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Utah junior high teacher arrested for alleged possession of child porn

PROVO, Utah — A teacher within the Alpine School District is facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor after allegedly uploading child porn to the internet. Travis Adamson, 49, is currently being held without bail.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News, investigators were first notified of the potential crime at the end of April 2023. Adobe Inc. reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via CyberTip that a user had uploaded files containing depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on their account.

The CyberTip also included account information regarding the suspect user, including an IP address and email address that belonged to a teacher within the Alpine School District. Detectives used geo-location to trace the suspect’s IP address and found it was located within or near the city limits of Provo.

The school district confirmed to investigators that Adamson was still an employee within the district.

On Monday, detectives interviewed Adamson at the school where he confirmed that he was the sole user of the Adobe account and admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material.

Adamson also told detectives that he had downloaded several thousand images and videos onto his hard drive which is located at his home. He denied ever photographing or doing anything sexual or inappropriate with his students or other kids.

Detectives are now working to get access to Adamson’s hard drive and more charges could be coming.

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Utah

Utah cracks AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball poll before key matchups

Published

19 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Utah cracks AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball poll before key matchups

The Utah Utes have made headlines by cracking the AP Top 25 at No. 22 for the first time this season, following a hard-fought 75-67 win over Iowa State. This marks Utah’s third consecutive season being ranked, despite an unexpected coaching change early in the season. Head coach Lynne Roberts departed for the WNBA, leaving longtime assistant Gavin Petersen to step in. Under Petersen’s leadership, Utah has thrived, demonstrating resilience and cohesion.

Petersen credited the team’s ability to stay focused and overcome adversity. “Our resilient crew has stepped up and faced the adversity that’s in front of them,” Petersen said. Utah’s win over Notre Dame during a Thanksgiving tournament was a pivotal moment that signaled their strength and potential.

Utah has ‘big money’ problem with a billionaire calling NIL shots for rival

The competition for dominance in women’s college basketball continues to intensify as the Big Ten and SEC assert themselves as the sport’s premier leagues. This week’s Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll highlights the strength of both conferences, with each boasting seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10.

The Big Ten’s recent expansion with the addition of No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC has bolstered its claim as the top league. UCLA’s consistent performances, including a victory over South Carolina, solidify their place at the top of the rankings, earning 30 of 32 first-place votes. Meanwhile, the SEC has also grown stronger with No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma joining the conference. South Carolina, a perennial powerhouse, remains No. 2 and will face Texas in a highly anticipated showdown.

This week, the Utes prepare for a marquee matchup, hosting No. 12 Kansas State at the Huntsman Center. This game not only pits two top-25 teams against each other but also serves as a litmus test for Utah’s aspirations in the Big 12.

As Utah continues its unbeaten run in conference play, upcoming matchups against No. 11 TCU and No. 17 West Virginia will provide further opportunities to climb the rankings and solidify their standing among the nation’s elite.

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