A 44-year-old man from Eagle Mountain, Utah, has been charged with 22 offences after allegedly sexually abusing his 10-year-old daughter, whom he reportedly treated as a "second wife". He has been remanded in custody without bail.
Allegations and charges
Court documents cited by ABC4 News state that the man "used his juvenile daughter as a second wife because his first wife was not providing him with what he needed". It is alleged he touched the girl and took abusive photographs of her.
The charges include 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 confession
The police investigation ran alongside a child protection services inquiry. Both began after an adult family member reportedly saw child abuse images on a device belonging to the man.
He reportedly confessed to touching his daughter and taking child abuse photos before deleting them. The victim is said to have confronted the man about the abuse, after which he reportedly cried and "told the victim that she could not say anything to anyone about the abuse or he would go to jail", according to ABC4.
Impact and custody
Previously, the child remained quiet about the abuse because the father financially supported the family, the report added. The man is now in custody without bail.
