Rape, sodomy of child added to growing list of charges against suspect with ‘no self-control’

Stock image, St. George News

ST. GEORGE —  Charges related to three more cases that include rape and sodomy of a child were filed against a St. George man accused of molesting multiple children since 2017, which brings the total to six cases filed in St. George since September.

On Friday, 36-year-old Bryce Alan Taylor was charged with five first-degree felony charges, including three counts of sodomy on a child and one count each of rape of a child and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, according to charging documents filed in 5th District Court.

Taylor was arrested and booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on Nov. 25, after detectives found him at the residence he was reportedly staying in and took him into custody without incident, St. George Police Detective Brandon Dunbar told St. George News.

The arrest stems from an investigation into the abuse of three children that were under the age of 10 when the incidents reportedly took place.

During forensic interviews conducted at the Children’s Justice Center, two of the children reported being sexually assaulted by the suspect on more than one occasion. Police also learned that each of the girls witnessed the other being abused by Taylor who perpetrated the acts while both children were in the same room.

In another interview, one of the children reported that Taylor touched her inappropriately and took photos of the child that he later showed her. Police also learned that the child’s face was covered with a blanket during the abuse. The defendant also reportedly showed the child cartoons depicting various sexual acts that appeared to be taking place between adults and children, the detective noted from the interview.

Bryce Alan Taylor, 35, of St. George, booking photo taken in Washington County, Utah, Oct. 19, 2020 | File photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

Another child told police that Taylor touched her inappropriately during a sleepover at the suspect’s home. She explained she pretended to be asleep when the incident took place, the report states, and that she never told anyone for fear she would get into trouble.

The officer also noted that a number of the incidents took place while Taylor was placed in a position of special trust while caring for the children while the parent(s) were at work.

This is the seventh case filed against Taylor since the beginning of the year.

The first case was filed in Box Elder Jan. 23. In that case, Taylor was charged with first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child and lewdness involving a child, charges that were dropped last month, according to the order signed by District Judge Spencer D. Walsh Nov. 17, with a notation that the victim “was not available at this time.”

Following the Box Elder case, Dunbar said, reports began filtering into the St. George Police Department as more children started coming forward to speak to police.

Dunbar also said the children did not initially come forward to report the abuse because they were afraid, but once they found out that other young girls had reported similar incidents involving the suspect, “they found the courage to come forward and report it,” adding it is a common theme found in all three cases.

“Getting the word out has helped to show these victims they are not alone in this,” Dunbar said. “And that it’s okay to talk about it.”

Bryce Alan Taylor, 35, of St. George, booking photo taken in Washington County, Utah, Sept. 21, 2020 | File photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

The detective also noted that following Taylor’s previous arrests that have taken place over the last few months, the defendant was able to post bail and be released within a few hours.

As such, the detective wrote that Taylor poses a significant risk to the citizens of Washington County, has shown no self-control and the defendant “continues to molest small children that he is around.”

Moreover, the victims are fearful that Taylor will be released, he noted in the report, as has happened twice in the past few months.

As such, the detective requested that Taylor be held without bail — a request that was approved by District Judge Michael G. Westfall who signed the no-bail order Nov. 25. Taylor remains in custody at this time.

In total, the defendant faces six first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, one first-degree felony count of rape of a child, three first-degree felony counts of sodomy of child and three second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child between all six cases filed in Washington County.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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