27-year-old Jared David Grimes, who was convicted of sexually abusing a female student at the U in August of 2016, was arrested Thursday on new sexual assault charges.
Police were alerted to an incident occurring on TRAX near the Central Point Station on 221 W and 2100 S. According to police reports, the alleged victim revealed that she was riding TRAX when a man approached her and asked her for her number. He forcibly placed his number in her cell phone and proceeded to ask her if she wanted to get a hotel room. The girl said that she told him no and that she was only 15 years old. She claimed that he proceeded to forcibly kiss and — despite her protests — touch her inappropriately.
The victim’s friends met her at the 900 E station where she exited TRAX. According to the report, her friends — also minors — said they immediately noticed that she was in distress and claimed to have told the man who exited TRAX with her to step away.
UTA found and released a photo from surveillance footage through which Grimes was also linked to an earlier incident reported on the Salt Lake Frontrunner. Grimes had allegedly approached a group of teenage girls, asked them for their phone numbers and made them uncomfortable. Shortly after the incident on TRAX, police found and arrested Grimes on charges of forcible sexual abuse, possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) in violation of probation and a second charge of probation violation for failure to attend counseling on Sep. 13 and 17 as mandated by a treatment plan.
Grimes’ criminal record revealed an incident that occurred in the U’s Marriott library in August of 2016. Grimes approached a U student in the library, asked her for her number, and then proceeded to hug her, lick her neck and forced contact by groping her beneath her clothing. A similar incident occurred directly afterward on upper campus where Grimes approached a second victim and asked for her number before hugging her and licking her neck.
After his arrest and incarceration, Grimes’ trial was delayed due to requests for Health Evaluation. In September of 2017, the court found that he was mentally incapable to sustain trial and ordered that he be committed to the Utah State Hospital. In January of this year, medical professionals declared that Grimes was sufficiently rehabilitated, in March he pled guilty to attempted forcible sexual abuse. Grimes was sentenced to serve 365 days in the Salt Lake County Jail, he was granted credit for 350 days of time served and received an early release to an Alternatives to Incarceration program.