YOUR AD HERE »

Man hit with abuse charge

Patrick Parkinson, Of the Record staff

A Salt Lake County man could face three second-degree felonies for forcible sexual abuse after allegedly groping a 15-year-old girl and 39-year-old woman at Echo reservoir, authorities say.

The victim’s mother reported the alleged crime to police, Summit County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Sherm Farnsworth said.

According to documents filed in Third District Court Aug. 17 by County Attorney David Brickey, 45-year-old Kyle Bruce Back sexually assaulted the girl while the pair rode on a personal watercraft at Echo.

"[The victim] agreed to ride a wave runner with the defendant sitting directly behind her," court papers state.

The victim, from Pocatello, Idaho, had a life jacket on over her bikini-style swimsuit, Farnsworth said, adding that Back allegedly place his hands on the girl’s torso.

"He slowly moved his hands up," Farnsworth said, adding that he eventually touched her breasts.

The suspect "hurt" the victim with the pressure he applied to her chest, according to Brickey.

A $10,000 warrant has been issued for Back’s arrest, court papers state.

"They are still in the process of investigating and trying to make contact with the suspect," Farnsworth said, adding that detectives had arranged an interview with Back and his attorney.

Also on Aug. 5, Back allegedly repeatedly groped a 39-year-old Salt Lake woman’s breasts while riding with her on a personal watercraft, Brickey said.

After the woman demanded the man stop touching her, Back allegedly placed her hand on his genitals, court papers state.

"It’s a hell of a way to try and meet women," Brickey said in a telephone interview Monday. "A woman has an absolute right to determine who touches her and when It’s no less offensive and no less traumatic if it’s 15 seconds or five minutes."

According to Brickey, the man admitted to others at the lake that he touched the 15-year-old girl.

In 1997, Back was convicted of attempted forcible sexual abuse for engaging in similar conduct, court papers state.

"As a community, we value each other’s individual rights to be safe from either inappropriate touching or unlawful touching," Brickey said, adding that Back had refused to "self surrender" to deputies during negotiations with his attorney, John Sorge.

Sorge was not immediately available to comment for this story.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.