Gunnison man arrested for alleged sexual abuse of 12-year-old stepdaughter

GUNNISON, Utah (ABC4) — A man has been arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting his 12-year-old stepdaughter while her mother was at work.

The stepfather, whom ABC4 is not identifying in order to protect the victim, has been arrested for the offense of sexual abuse of a child. He has not been formally charged by the county attorney yet.

According to arrest documents, on Aug. 8, 2025, the Gunnison Valley Police Department was dispatched to a gas station in the area. Upon arrival, an officer met with two adults, who reported that their daughter woke them up in the middle of the night because her 12-year-old friend had called her for help.

The 12-year-old told the officer that her stepfather had been sexually harassing her, and she had called her friend to come pick her up. The child victim reported that her stepfather entered the bathroom while she was showering and asked her to come into his bedroom and watch a movie.

The stepfather allegedly told the victim not to worry about getting dressed, but she put on pajamas anyway. According to the 12-year-old, he began “cuddling her” while touching himself. The stepfather began touching her inappropriately, telling her he loved her and offering to buy her things.

At that point, the victim got out of the bed and called her friend and then her mother, who was at work.

After taking the 12-year-old’s report, police went to the residence to make contact with the stepfather. He denied touching the victim inappropriately, but allegedly admitted that he had been cuddling the victim and had entered the bathroom while she was showering.

The stepfather was taken into custody and booked into the Sanpete County Jail. The arresting officer states that the man “smelled of alcohol and became very belligerent” while at the jail. He also allegedly threatened to fight jail deputies and told them he was a “gang member.”

Currently, the stepfather is being held without bail at the Sanpete County Jail. He committed this offense while on parole.