Former Utah Highway Patrol officer charged with sexual abuse

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A former Utah Highway Patrol officer has been charged with sexual abuse after allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in the basement of his home while on duty.

According to court documents, Bronson Willas Wood, 46, was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and two counts of sale of alcohol to a minor.

Wood allegedly caught the victim and his daughter, also 19, drinking wine at his home in March 2023. Charging documents say Wood did not stop the two from drinking, but did take their car keys. He later told the victim and his daughter they had to “drink liquor with him.” The victim said she felt pressured to drink the liquor, so she put the liquor in her mouth and later went to the bathroom to spit it out.

As the night progressed, the victim reportedly laid down on a couch in the basement. She told investigators that Wood sat next to the couch she was lying on, put his hand on her hip and rubbed her side, asking if she was OK.

According to the indictment, the victim told Wood she was fine and asked him to stop touching her, but he continued. According to court documents, Wood asked the victim to make out with him and told her he had been “in love with her since the day they met.”

The victim reportedly continued to insist that Wood stop and go back upstairs. When he finally left, the victim said she “escaped through a basement door” and called a friend to pick her up.

The victim told police that she did not feel comfortable reporting the incident immediately because Wood worked for the highway patrol and she did not expect anyone to believe her.

Wood was taken into custody on April 16, 2024.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said it learned of the allegations when they were reported in March 2024. The department said Wood was placed on leave while an outside agency investigated the incident.

“We take the allegations in this incident very seriously,” DPS said in a statement to ABC4.com. “The Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah Highway Patrol do not tolerate this behavior in any way.”

The full statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety can be found below:

On March 19, 2024, the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) was made aware by one of our sworn officers, Bronson Wood, of possible criminal activity related to an off-duty incident that occurred in March 2023. Bronson Wood was placed on leave while DPS requested an outside agency conduct a criminal investigation into the incident. We also initiated an administrative investigation to determine the employee’s involvement. This was done to complete both an independent and comprehensive criminal and internal investigation and to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to effectively address this matter.

We take the allegations in this incident very seriously. The Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah Highway Patrol have no tolerance for this type of behavior. Today we were informed that Bronson Wood was booked into the Sevier County Jail on charges of sexual battery and rape of a minor. The department has initiated its internal processes to formally resolve this matter. We extend our most sincere, heartfelt condolences and support to the victim of this incident during this difficult time.

Utah Department of Public Safety