Sandy scuba instructor charged with sexually abusing young student
Sep 17, 2024, 5:26 PM | Updated: 7:27 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A Sandy scuba instructor is facing felony charges accusing him of sexually abusing a young student.
David L. Butt, 40, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony.
In February of 2021, a 10-year-old alleges “she was sexually assaulted by her scuba instructor,” Butt. The girl says Butt would repeatedly place his hand inside her bathing suit and she would try to swim away, according to charging documents. “This happened each week that (the girl) had scuba lessons.”
“Officers interviewed another (child) participant of the class, who described the behavior of Butt as ‘creepy,’ and said that Butt was much more hands on with (the girl) than the other students,” according to the charges.
That other student was concerned enough about the behavior, he told a parent about it, the charges state.
“We know that with position of power dynamic and unique trust, it also brings that authority into that (alleged abuse) and so children are far more vulnerable,” said Sim Gill, the Salt Lake County District Attorney.
Prosecutors also noted there “have been additional allegations against (Butt) that are similar in nature,” including from a girl who says Butt did the same thing to her when she took lessons in Midway, according to the charges. “That female minor has suffered immense trauma from the incident and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.”
“These children are not alone, this is not your fault, and we want you to know that as a community we are here to help. And we will take any allegations seriously,” Gill said.
The charges filed Tuesday are for alleged incidents only involving the 10-year-old girl in Salt Lake County.
Contributing: Shara Park, KSL TV
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with Children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child’s mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
