Man charged with lewd conduct for years of alleged abuse, police say
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REXBURG — An Upper Valley man is accused of sexually abusing a pre-teen girl in Idaho and Utah over several years.
Charging documents alleged William Taft Cole, 20, sexually abused the girl when he was a teenager and into his early adult life. Cole is now charged with felony lewd conduct with a child for an incident in 2019.
Utah Law enforcement contacted the Rexburg Police Department in April after the victim reported the alleged abuse. According to a probable cause affidavit, the victim reported Cole molested her over the several-year period when he was a teenager and it did not stop when he turned 18.
Madison County Prosecutors charged Cole on Aug. 17 with the felony. Cole was not arrested but issued a summons to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday at the Madison County Courthouse.
Although Cole is accused of a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted of felony lewd conduct, a judge could order Cole to spend up to life in prison.