Police were still looking Thursday morning for a convicted rapist who escaped from the Utah State Hospital on Tuesday evening but believe he may no longer be in Utah County.
Jack Jessop, 45, was convicted in August of raping a Provo woman last February. He had been ordered to undergo treatment for a mental illness at the state hospital before being incarcerated in the Utah State Prison. Jessop had been placed in a seclusion room on the third floor of the sex offender's ward Tuesday after creating a disturbance over his picture being taken. Around 9:15 p.m., he removed a window pane, kicked out a window screen and used a vacuum cord to lower himself to the ground.Police say Jessop is 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has short brown hair and is clean-shaven. Hospital spokeswoman Janina Chilton said Jessop had several changes of clothing with him at the time of his escape. He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt, jeans and and a denim jacket.
Anyone who may have seen a man matching this description is asked to call the Provo Police, 379-6210, or the local police department. Jessop, who has admitted to raping as many as 50 women, is considered very dangerous.