PROVO — A man is being held in the Utah County Jail on allegations he sexually abused a 13-year-old boy in several public places, including a movie theater and the outdoor campuses of two Lehi elementary schools.
The 19-year-old turned himself in Monday to the Lehi Police Department, saying he had molested a child, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the 4th District Court.
At the police station, the man and his parents decided they wanted to get an attorney before he talked in detail, but the man told police the name of the alleged victim, said Lehi Police Sgt. Darren Paul.
Later, the alleged victim told police during an interview the abuse had happened on six different occasions and in various places, according to the probable-cause statement.
The boy told police he was molested in several locations — his house, Eagle Crest and Sego Lily elementary schools and a movie theater in American Fork, according to the statement.
The abuse at the schools happened on the school premises during the summer months, police said.
The individual has no connection to the school, either as a student, parent or employee, said Jerrilyn Mortensen, spokeswoman for the Alpine School District.
The alleged abuse began in July and continued until Sunday and involved the 19-year-old man rubbing the victim's genitals, according to police.
With the victim's testimony, police had enough evidence to call the man back to the police station on Tuesday and he was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail.
The man lived in the same neighborhood as the alleged victim and knew the boy and his family. The parents of the victim knew the man and felt comfortable allowing their son to spend time with him, police say. The parents had no idea what was going on.
The fact that the man approached police was somewhat rare, police said.
"Occasionally we get people that want to confess," Paul said. "More often than not, it's the victim that brings the information to the police."
E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com