FAILURE TO PROTECT

KSL Investigates: Failure to Protect

Jun 29, 2023, 1:59 PM

KSL-TV’s year-long investigation exposed systemic failures in Utah to address sexual violence and sparked swift change.  

Failure to Protect is a series exploring gaps at every level of Utah’s criminal justice system, and how those gaps impact Utahns.  

Individual reports in this series can be found here.


If you have experienced sexual violence, you can access help and resources by calling Utah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Helpline at 1-888-421-1100. You can also call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential counseling. 

Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you. 

Failure to Protect

Prosecutors filed felony charges in a Salt Lake City rape case from 2019, but later reduced them to...

Daniella Rivera

Could making this change help Utah improve sexual assault prosecutions?

Only a fraction of sexual assaults reported to police in Utah result in criminal charges for the perpetrator, but a legislative proposal could potentially change that.

13 days ago

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Daniella Rivera

‘Please report’: Salt Lake County leaders urge survivors of sexual assault to come forward

To kick off sexual assault awareness month, advocates and law enforcers are drawing attention to Utah’s low sexual assault reporting rate.

27 days ago

Joshua Homer appears in court in Weber County on Oct. 18, 2022....

Daniella Rivera and Keira Fairmont, KSL-TV

Rapist at the center of KSL Investigation ‘Failure to Protect’ pleads guilty

Guilty: An accused serial predator in Utah, who’s had more than a decade of allegations against him is now a convicted rapist following a KSL Investigation.

2 months ago

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Daniella Rivera, KSL-TV

Utah parole board reconsidering sex offender’s release after hearing from victims

In a packed parole hearing Monday, survivors urged Utah’s Board of Pardons and Parole to keep a repeat sexual offender behind bars. The hearing followed reporting by the KSL Investigators about failures to notify victims that their perpetrators are up for parole and ongoing efforts to improve the system.

2 months ago

Leah Moses...

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Utah lawmakers pass ‘Om’s Law,’ focused on child safety in custody decisions

Utah lawmakers gave final passage to bill requiring judges to consider evidence of domestic violence raised in child custody cases.

2 months ago

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Will lawmakers consider bill to boost Utah’s low rate of sex assault prosecutions?

Imagine being sexually assaulted, reporting to police, getting a forensic exam at the hospital and still being told your perpetrator can't be prosecuted under Utah's current rape law. That happens more than you might think, but Utah lawmakers have been reluctant to adopt what experts say is a sound solution.

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KSL Investigates: Failure to Protect