Man arrested for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting 14-year-old girl
Apr 1, 2022, 4:28 PM
(File photo)
(File photo)
RIVERTON, Utah— A man has been arrested after providing drugs to a 14-year-girl in exchange for sexual acts and raping her on another occasion after drugging her according to court documents.
Police believe there may be other victims of the same man.
The man was identified as 29-year-old Calan Nelson Clifford.
The investigation began when a sexual assault was reported to police of a girl being treated at a local hospital on March 23.
In an interview with police, the girl explained she had met a “random” man on snapchat who had been contacting her. Clifford told the girl he was 20 and made it clear he wanted to do “sexual things” with her. The girl made it clear she was only 14 years old.
According to the court documents, in the first interaction between the two, Clifford picked the girl up from school and drove her to a parking lot where they engaged in a sex act in exchange for nicotine and marijuana. This was in January or the beginning of February.
In mid-February, Clifford picked up the girl from school, took her to his home and sexually assaulted her.
On a third occasion, Clifford picked up the girl from school during her lunch hour and drugged her using gamma-hydroxybutyrate, also known as GHB.
The affidavit states the girl went in and out of consciousness while Clifford raped her in his truck.
The girl was found by her mother who tracked her location on her phone, and discovered the two together. Her mother immediately took her to a nearby hospital.
Court documents reveal that, “Clifford is also a suspect in a similar case in Riverton which involves a second minor female. ”
Clifford has been booked into Salt Lake County Jail Thursday for investigation of three counts of human trafficking of a child, two counts of rape of a child, sodomy on a child, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of enticing a minor and three counts of dealing in harmful materials to a minor.
“Multiple video surveillance has been located which cooperates the victim’s interview. Evidence of sex trafficking, and other sexual acts with minors has been located and is currently being extracted forensically,” police stated in the affidavit while requesting he be held in jail pending the filing of formal criminal charges. “Calan being released on a bail would put him back into the public where he can continue to groom and hurt minor girls sexually and with drugs.”
