SANDY — The case against a man accused of assaulting a woman in a Sandy hot tub in an alleged stranger rape incident has been dismissed.
Christian Earl Hayes, 39, of Richfield, was already on the Utah Sex Offender Registry when he was arrested and accused of assaulting a woman on Feb. 19, 2015, at the Falls at Hunters Pointe Apartments, 11251 S. State. The woman claimed Hayes was already sitting in the hot tub when she got there.
After having a conversation with Hayes for several minutes, the woman told police she attempted to leave. But Hayes, who was listed as being 6 feet tall and weighing 260 pounds, was accused of grabbing the woman, holding her down and raping her, according to charging documents.
The woman called police after she was released and a forensic exam was conducted. DNA collected was placed into a national police database. A match pointed to Hayes, according to the charges.
Hayes, however, sent the Deseret News a 22-page letter while incarcerated proclaiming his innocence. On Feb. 12, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office asked the court to dismiss the case — one count of rape, a first-degree felony — because of concerns over evidence, specifically testimony that was being given.
Hayes was already listed on the Utah Sex Offender Registry for a 2011 conviction in Idaho of sexual battery of a 16- or 17-year-old. He also has other offenses dating back to 1999, according to court records.