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A judge has set back-to-back September trials for a Sandy landlord accused in a pair of kidnapping and assault cases involving women he took in as roommates at his Sandy home last year.
In one case, Vratislav Roger Bilek, 61, faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, rape and three counts of object rape, all first-degree felonies; possession of a controlled substance and two counts of aggravated assault, third-degree felonies; and misdemeanor sexual battery. The charges stem from an alleged incident on Aug. 31.
In a second case, tied to a similar incident on Aug. 9, Bilek faces one count each of first-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felony drug distribution and third-degree felony aggravated assault in the second case.
Bilek will stand trial first on the Aug. 31 allegations. The four-day proceeding is set to begin Sept. 14 in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court. The second trial, which is also expected to last four days, is scheduled to begin on Sept. 29.
Bilek has entered not guilty pleas to the charges in both cases and faces multiple life sentences if he is convicted.
In both instances, prosecutors say Bilek's alleged victims had been living in the home only a few days before they were attacked and beaten, sexually assaulted, raped, prevented from escape, and had their lives threatened with a firearm. Bilek also allegedly choked one of the women and attempted to drown her in a bathtub, police and prosecutors said.
Both women eventually escaped — one on Aug. 9, the other on Sept. 1 — and ran to the homes of neighbors to seek help, charging documents state.
Charges weren't filed in the Aug. 9 incident until after the second incident occurred, in part because the victim was unable to give a coherent statement. Officers sought her out after the incident on Aug. 31.