Utah parents confess to allegedly raping teen, claiming it was ‘safer’ than sex with strangers: police

The girl’s mother and stepfather face several charges, according to prison records

• A 15-year-old girl claimed her stepfather had been sexually abusing her for over a year, authorities said

• The girl’s husband and mother allegedly admitted to authorities that they had engaged in “sexual acts” with the teenager, an affidavit states.

• Both the man and the woman are being held without bail

A Utah couple is accused of raping their teenage daughter because they believed it would be “safer” than for the girl to have sexual contact with “strangers,” court documents say, according to multiple reports.

The couple were arrested by police in Provo, Utah, on Thursday and charged with forcible sodomy, rape and sexual abuse, according to online jail records. The man also faces a rape charge.

On Thursday, police responded to a call from the alleged victim who claimed her stepfather, a man in his mid-30s, had raped her for over a year, KSL, ABC 4 and KUTV report, citing a probable cause affidavit, arrest documents and court records.

According to court documents obtained by KUTV, the 15-year-old girl told authorities that both the man and the woman had been having sexual activity with her since she was 14. According to the affidavit, the couple admitted to these allegations when questioned by police, KSL reports.

To protect the identity of the alleged victim, PEOPLE is not naming the couple.

According to the affidavit, the couple learned about a year ago that the teen was interacting with strangers online and had the intention of meeting them for sexual activity, KSL reports.

According to the affidavit, the parents learned that the teenager had been chatting with strangers on Snapchat and sharing pictures of herself “in sexual situations,” ABC 4 reports, citing the affidavit.

The couple allegedly “decided that it would be safer for the victim to teach the victim about sex and perform sexual acts with him than to have sex with strangers,” the affidavit states, according to KSL.

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According to arrest documents, the man allegedly told investigators the couple bought sex toys for the teenager and admitted to showering with her, ABC 4 reports.

According to arrest documents (according to ABC 4), the woman allegedly told authorities that she confronted her husband about having “full sexual intercourse” with the teenager.

Both the man and woman are being held without bail, jail records show. It was not immediately clear whether they have confessed or hired an attorney to speak on their behalf.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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