Douglas Bruce Hall

“Hall was charged Monday with forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, for fondling a 14-year-old boy in the spring of 1999, according to the charges. He was off-duty.”

The crime took place in Monticello, Utah.

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from Deseret News:

A Utah Highway Patrol sergeant and bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Monticello has admitted his involvement in a 2-year-old sexual abuse case.

The confession that Doug Hall, 48, gave to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office earlier this month was “the first anyone had heard of this,” San Juan County Attorney Craig Halls said Wednesday.

Monday, prosecutors charged Hall with one count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. Hall sexually abused his male victim, who is “14 years of age or older,” in May or June 1999, according to the charges.

“The victim did not make a complaint. Our knowledge of this incident came from Mr. Hall himself,” attorney Halls said.

In an interview with the Deseret News from his Monticello home, Hall said he confessed to the abuse one day after retiring as supervising sergeant in the UHP Monticello office.

“I will face the music for what I’ve done,” Hall said. “I pondered about it for some time and knew that ultimately because of my faith and my religion that it was something that, regardless of how unpleasant it was, would have to happen.”

Hall has served as bishop of the Monticello 2nd Ward of the LDS Church for the past year and a half.

He has not been acting as bishop since turning himself in and is expected to be released officially Sunday, Monticello Stake President Terry Eardley said. Hall first divulged the abuse to President Eardley, his ecclesiastical leader.

“He’s well-respected and unfortunately has made a mistake,” President Eardley said. “He realized that there are some consequences that are associated with that, and he’s willing to pay those consequences.”

In his interview with the Deseret News, Hall refused to discuss his victim’s identity or details of the case. According to prosecutors, the victim was from Monticello and has been interviewed by police.

San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy is investigating the case but was out of town and unavailable for comment.

“This did not occur while he was on duty,” attorney Halls said. “It does not involve anyone that he would have picked up or anything like that. It doesn’t involve any kind of sexual intercourse — it involves inappropriate touching.”

The attorney also said the abuse was not connected to Hall’s ecclesiastical duties.

Hall is a 22-year veteran of the UHP and has lived in Monticello for 15 years. He declined to say if the desire to turn himself in prompted his abrupt retirement.

“I think I’ll leave that for speculation,” Hall said. “I knew that if I was going to address this that one of the things that I was going to have to forfeit was my job.”

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Robert Flowers said it’s not uncommon for troopers to retire after 20 years, but the short notice Hall gave before leaving the department was “a little bit of a surprise.”

Hall has no prior criminal record and said he was still uncertain what led to the abuse.

“That’s a lot more complicated, and I’d really rather not say,” he said.

Flowers, who oversees the UHP as public safety commissioner and is a former trooper himself, said he was shocked and disappointed when he learned of the charges Thursday.

“I’m still disappointed and feel kind of in a state of shock,” Flowers said. “He was a good employee, and I’ve not been privy to any of the facts in the case.”

Flowers said he was also uncertain if the charges or a possible conviction could affect Hall’s retirement pay with the department.

Hall began his career with the UHP Oct. 16, 1978, in Wendover. In July 1979 he was transferred to Salt Lake City. Hall was promoted to sergeant and moved to the Monticello office in 1986. From 1993 to 1998 Hall supervised the Monticello and Moab UHP offices. In 1998 he continued as supervisor in the Monticello office. He officially retired June 1, UHP Sgt. Doug McCleve said.

His record included no disciplinary action, according to McCleve.

In November 1994 Hall’s Monticello office received a unit citation, an award given to units within the Department of Public Safety for outstanding performance.

Since retiring, Hall has remained in Monticello with his wife of 21 years. The couple has two sons and two daughters, ages 19, 17, 13 and 9.

Since disclosing the abuse to the sheriff’s office, police have allowed Hall to remain at his Monticello home. “Part of the reason for that is he came to us,” attorney Halls said.

Hall is expected to make his initial court appearance Monday morning before 7th District Judge Lyle Anderson. If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years in prison.