Man accused of grabbing teen girl in church restroom
Dec 6, 2022, 10:08 AM
A Utah County man who police believe was under the influence of drugs is facing criminal charges for allegedly flooding an Orem hotel. (File image, Gustavo Caballero, Getty Images for UNITAS)
(File image, Gustavo Caballero, Getty Images for UNITAS)
WELLINGTON, Carbon County — A Wellington man has been arrested after allegedly abusing a young girl inside a restroom at a church meeting house on Sunday.
James Bruce Snyder, 40, was booked into the Carbon County Jail for investigation of child kidnapping, sex abuse of a child and assault.
On Sunday, Snyder entered a meeting house of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wellington, to meet with a bishop, according to a police booking affidavit.
About 11 a.m., a 13-year-old girl went into a bathroom.
“She had left a stall and proceeded to the sink to wash her hands when Mr. Snyder was standing in the female’s bathroom,” the affidavit states.
Snyder then grabbed the girl by her wrist, pushed her against a wall and took his pants off, according to the affidavit. The girl yelled for help and kicked Snyder, police said.
“Mr. Snyder at one point put his hand over (her) mouth and told her to be quiet,” the affidavit states. “Her yells did not go unnoticed as a witness went into the bathroom and asked if everything was OK?”
The girl ran out of the bathroom to her caregiver, who also stated she heard yelling, according to the affidavit. She then saw Snyder in the hallway who allegedly told her, “I made a mistake,” the affidavit states, to which the woman replied, “You sure did.”
Church officials and a Price police officer who was at the church at the time located Snyder and detained him. A Wellington police officer was then called to the scene and arrested Snyder.
