William Leonard Butcher

Sources

1. Provo teen admits to sexually abusing 12 kids, Salt Lake Tribune, February 7, 2013.
2. Police: Utah man sexually abused at least 15 victims, Salt Lake Tribune, February 8, 2013.
3. Provo man who admitted to abusing 12 kids sent to prison, Salt Lake Tribune, June 24, 2014.

• 1. Provo teen admits to sexually abusing 12 kids

  • 7 Feb 2013
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  • Salt Lake Tribune

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  A 19-year-old Provo man turned himself into the police on Wednesday, telling them he had sexually abused a dozen children.

  William Leonard Butcher was arrested on suspicion of 13 counts of sexual abuse of a child, four counts of forcible sexual abuse of a child, and sodomy on a child, all felonies.

  He voluntarily came to the Provo Police Department on Wednesday morning and admitted to the abuse, which started when he was 14, according to the charges. He told police that his victims included boys and girls, as well as infants, and most of it happened when he was an adult.

  The man also completed a voluntary written statement to the police about the abuse. Lt. Mathew Siufanua, spokesman for the department, could not speak as to why the Butcher came to them and admitted to the crimes.

  He has been booked into Utah County Jail.

  The man has no criminal history, according to a search of Utah court records. Police believe there may be more victims and are continuing to investigate Butcher's claims, Siufanua said.

• 2. Police: Utah man sexually abused at least 15 victims

  • 8 Feb 2013
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  • Salt Lake Tribune

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  Provo police now suspect that William Leonard Butcher sexually abused at least 15 children, a long list of alleged crimes that Butcher volunteered to the police when he turned himself in.

  Butcher, 19, walked into the Provo Police Department on Wednesday morning and admitted that he had abused 12 boys and girls, according to the charges filed upon his arrest. He told the police that the victims ranged from infants to teenagers, and while Butcher abused his first victim when he was 14, most of it happened when he was an adult, and as recently as last month.

  But as of Thursday night, detectives had identified three more victims as they continue to investigate Butcher's claims, said Lt. Mathew Suifanua, spokesman for the department. And there could be more.

  "The potential for other victims is probably high," Siufanua said.

  Butcher told police that most of the alleged abuse occurred in Provo, though he also confessed to abusing one victim while on the drive back from a Boy Scout camp, another in a hotel near the Sanpete County Fair, and a third while on a trip in southern Utah.

  In one instance, Butcher allegedly abused two girls who were 12 to 14 years old and who told their parents what happened. The parents confronted Butcher, who was 16, and told him not to do it again.

  After his admission to police, Butcher was arrested and booked into Utah County jail on suspicion of 13 counts of sexual abuse of a child, four counts of forcible sexual abuse of a child, and sodomy on a child, all felonies. He remained in jail as of Friday afternoon, although he has not yet been charged in 4th District Court.

  Siufanua didn't know why Butcher admitted to the alleged crimes.

  Butcher has no criminal history, according to a search of Utah court records — not even a speeding ticket.

  The Provo police are asking any other possible victims to call 801-852-6210 and speak with detectives.

• 3. Provo man who admitted to abusing 12 kids sent to prison

  • 24 Jun 2014
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  • Salt Lake Tribune

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  A 21-year-old man who walked into the Provo police station over a year ago and admitted to sexually abusing a dozen children will spend at least 18 years — and possibly up to life — in the Utah State Prison.

  William Butcher pleaded guilty in April in 4th District Court to nine felony charges, ranging from attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child to forcible sodomy.

  On Monday, a judge handed down nine prison sentences, and ordered them to run consecutively: five years to life for one count of forcible sodomy, four three-to-life sentences for four counts of attempted aggravated abuse of a child, one to 15 years for one charge of forcible sexual abuse, and two zero-to-five year sentences for two counts of attempted sexual abuse of a child.

  Butcher was 19 years old when he walked into the police department last February and told officers he had groped or sexually abused 12 people, ranging from infants to a 19-year-old man. Butcher claimed he had abused his first victim when he was 14, according to charges, but much of the abuse happened when he was an adult.

  According to a plea agreement, Butcher admitted that he had most recently abused someone a month before he turned himself into police ­— which was three days before he left to serve a mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

  Most of the abuse took place in Provo, according to the plea agreement. The victims ranged from an infant he babysat to a teenage boy he admitted to touching on a car-ride back from an Arizona Boy Scout camp.

  According to court records, additional charges filed against the man were transferred to juvenile court because he was a minor at the time of those alleged offenses.

  Butcher has no prior criminal history, according to a search of Utah court records.