A 44-year-old man from Eagle Mountain, Utah, has been charged with 22 offences after allegedly sexually abusing his 10-year-old daughter, treating her as a "second wife".
Details of the charges
Court documents state the man "used his juvenile daughter as a second wife because his first wife was not providing him with what he needed", according to ABC4 News.
The charges comprise four counts of sodomy on a child, seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of rape.
Investigation and alleged admissions
The police investigation ran alongside a child protection services inquiry, both beginning after an adult relative allegedly discovered child abuse images on a device belonging to the man.
He allegedly admitted to touching his daughter as a child and capturing child abuse photographs before erasing them. The victim has allegedly challenged the man regarding the abuse.
Alleged threats and custody
He is reported to have wept and "told the victim that she could not say anything to anyone about the abuse or he would go to jail", ABC4 adds. The child had previously stayed silent about the abuse because the father provided financial support for the family, the report also stated.
He is currently being held in custody without bail.
