Man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting female BYU student
Feb 19, 2023, 9:47 PM | Updated: 11:21 pm
(BYU Police Department)
PROVO, Utah — A man was arrested for allegedly following a female student and sexually assaulting her and giving police a false name.
Johnny John Joe, 56, was booked into the Utah County Jail for forcible sexual abuse and giving false information to law enforcement on Saturday, according to the affidavit.
On Friday, Joe allegedly followed a female Brigham Young University student off a UVX bus near 750 East and University Parkway at approximately 10 p.m. He followed her across University Parkway and continued south in front of a Harmons building.
According to the affidavit, Joe grabbed the victim, pushed her against the wall, and sexually assaulted her. The victim was able to get away from Joe without further incident towards her.
“Within minutes of this incident, the same suspect approached a female sitting in her vehicle in front of the BYU Broadcast building,” reads the affidavit. “The suspect reportedly contacted the female at her window and tells her he wants to have sex with her.”
The woman drove away from the suspect without any issues. Both incidents were caught on BYU security cameras.
At approximately 6 a.m., Utah Transit Authority Police found Joe after responding to a report of an intoxicated person. UTA Police used their security footage to connect Joe to the assaults.
According to the affidavit, after being placed into custody, BYU Police officers created a photo line-up and presented it to the victim who positively identified Joe as the person who assaulted her.
“Kudos to BYU, UTA, Orem and Provo Police Departments for arresting this suspect yesterday,” reads a BYU Police Facebook post. “He was charged with sexually assaulting two females on UTA busses and near BYU campus. All four agencies worked quickly to get him into custody within just two hours of the second assault. Always be aware of your surroundings in public.”