FAILURE TO PROTECT

New sexual assault charges filed against accused serial rapist at center of KSL Investigation

Oct 19, 2023, 10:03 PM | Updated: Oct 23, 2023, 11:18 am

SALT LAKE CITY – An accused serial rapist at the center of a KSL Investigation is facing additional sexual assault charges.

Salt Lake County prosecutors filed felony rape and sodomy charges against Joshua Homer, 27, this week, based on assaults reported to have occurred in 2014.

Charging documents state a woman reported she was 17 when she met Homer – who was 18 at the time – on a dating app. The woman reported incidents in a park and in a car with Homer in which she said he ignored her expressions of non-consent.

According to the probable cause statement, the woman reported Homer tried to assault her again after he drove her to her mother’s home, but she was able to get away.

“Following the assaults, the Defendant sent [the woman] a message about ‘wasting his gas,’” an investigator with the State Bureau of Investigation wrote.

In 2020, Utah women started sharing allegations of sexual assault against Homer under the hashtag: #UtahRapists. The movement caught the attention of investigators with Utah’s SBI, which confirms it received more than 25 claims of sexual assault against Homer.

Most of those accusers were connected with local police departments to potentially file reports, but several were investigated by SBI.

“I think sexual assaults are some of the most severely violent kinds of trauma that somebody can undergo,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Gill said his office filed the latest case against Homer after an accuser came forward to SBI in December last year. He noted the several-year delay in the woman’s report to law enforcement did not deter his office from bringing charges, and said he is confident prosecutors can prove the case at trial.

“To not only this survivor, to any other survivor who may find themselves in a similar situation, don’t lose hope,” Gill said. “There is a community of support out here in our in our society, reach into that.”

In a message to the KSL Investigators Thursday reacting to the filing of the case, the woman said she is grateful to those who listened to her and, “this gives me and so many others the biggest sense of peace.”

The newly filed case marks the fifth rape charge filed against Homer since the KSL Investigators started reporting on allegations against him in December last year. Homer is also currently facing four counts of rape in Davis County in a case that was filed after a KSL Investigation prompted investigators to re-open several rape cases naming Homer.

In October 2022, Joshua Homer pleaded guilty in two cases involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor. He was sentenced to spend just nine days in jail. Homer was arrested for multiple probation violations the day after the KSL Investigators’ first report on him aired in December. He is now serving a zero-to-five-year prison sentence in that case.

Homer is scheduled to make an initial court appearance in Salt Lake County next week.


If you have experienced sexual violence, you can access help and resources by calling Utah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Help Line at 1-801-736-4356 (English) or 1-801-924-0860 (Spanish). You can also call the Rape Recovery Center office line during office hours at 801-467-7282 or 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

FILE: On the same day the Utah’s Senate unanimously passed a resolution to bring an NHL franchise...

Daniella Rivera

‘You are inviting rapists to Utah’: Survivor urges lawmakers to consider consent bill

Year after year, Utah lawmakers have resisted or ignored efforts to close what experts and advocates say is a gap in the state’s sexual assault laws. The lawmaker behind those efforts hopes this year will be different.

5 days ago

A Utah County Deputy arrests Kaden Beckstrom in September 2024....

Daniella Rivera

He’s assaulted a pregnant woman, a neighbor, and police. Will he finally go to prison?

Despite several arrests and charges for assault, a Utah man has avoided prison time. Now, a Utah woman says the justice system has a chance to change that outcome for her abuser.

2 months ago

The board asked for input on the wording of the letter it will send to survivors after a court sent...

Daniella Rivera

Utah’s Parole Board invites survivors, advocates to weigh in on changes to victim notifications

Utah's Board of Pardons and Parole has been working to improve the way it communicates with victims of crime. Tuesday, advocates, survivors and KSL Investigator Daniella Rivera were invited to a discussion about upcoming changes.

2 months ago

Nearly two years after a KSL Investigation revealed failures to investigate reports of rape against...

Daniella Rivera

Serial sexual predator at center of KSL Investigation receives second prison sentence this month

A man at the center of KSL’s Failure to Protect series pleaded guilty and was sentenced in a second sexual assault case adjudicated this month.

5 months ago

Nearly two years after a KSL Investigation revealed failures to investigate reports of rape against...

Daniella Rivera and Keira Fairmont, KSL

‘He is a serial rapist’: Wrongfully closed cases uncovered by KSL Investigators lead to prison sentence

Nearly two years after a KSL Investigation revealed failures to investigate reports of rape against a Davis County man, a judge sentenced him to at least five years in prison.

5 months ago

Convicted sex offender Byron Thad Haderlie speaks at a victim impact hearing held by Utah's Board o...

Daniella Rivera

Utah parole board rescinds release date for repeat sexual offender after victim testimony

Just three short months after her perpetrator was sentenced to serve up to 15 years, a Utah woman learned the parole board had decided to grant his release without hearing from his multiple victims. That changed this week.

6 months ago

Sponsored Articles

luxury living room with a classic white sofa and sofa, interior design...

Lighting Design

Revisiting home lighting trends for 2025

Looking for inspiration to revamp your home lighting? This article outlines some of the emerging lighting trends for 2025.

holiday gift basket with blue tissue paper and gingerbread cookies...

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Holiday hacks for a stress-free season

Get more out of your time with family and loved ones over the holidays by following these tips for a stress-free season.

2 computer techs in a computer shop holding up a computer server with the "hang loose" sign...

PC Laptops

A comprehensive guide to choosing the right computer

With these tips, choosing the right computer that fits your needs and your budget will be easier than ever.

crowds of people in a German style Christmas market...

This Is The Place Heritage Park

Celebrate Christkindlmarket at This Is The Place Heritage Park!

The Christkindlmarket is an annual holiday celebration influenced by German traditions and generous giving.

Image of pretty woman walking in snowy mountains. Portrait of female wearing warm winter earmuff, r...

Lighting Design

Brighten your mood this winter with these lighting tricks

Read our lighting tips on how to brighten your mood in the winter if you are experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

A kitchen with a washer and dryer and a refrigerator...

Appliance Man

Appliance Man: a trusted name in Utah’s home appliance industry

Despite many recent closures of local appliance stores, Appliance Man remains Utah's trusted home appliance business and is here to stay.

New sexual assault charges filed against accused serial rapist at center of KSL Investigation