ST. GEORGE – A man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman last month was given a new charge of rape by prosecutors this week.
Cherokee Miles Williams, 57, of Hurricane, was arrested Oct. 7 following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a 38-year-old woman with diminished mental capacities, according to court records.
The incident occurred Sept. 16 after the woman left a care facility where she is a full-time resident. During this time, Williams is alleged to have offered her a ride. The woman was allegedly taken to a park and sexually assaulted, according to a probable cause statement.
The woman described the man as having a beard and described a tattoo on the man’s right leg.
During the resulting investigation, the St. George Police Department acquired surveillance footage of the possible suspect from a convenience store where he allegedly bought a drink for the 38-year-old woman.
In late September, St. George police uploaded images from the store footage to the Department’s Facebook page, where the public was asked to help identify the man.
Williams was subsequently arrested and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility and charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping and forcible sodomy, as well as second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. He currently remains in custody.
On Wednesday, prosecutors added a first-degree felony charge of rape based on test results added as evidence in the case.
A preliminary hearing is set for Monday in the 5th District Court in the courtroom of Judge Eric Ludlow.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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Twitter: @MoriKessler
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Scum bag.