This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An Army instructor working at Tooele High School was arrested Saturday for allegedly sexually abusing a female student.
Brian Joseph Dragon, 32, was booked into the Tooele County jail on suspicion of three counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old.
Tooele City police are also screening possible counts of rape.
Dragon, of Herriman, has not been formally charged in the case.
The 17-year-old female student reported the alleged abuse to police Friday after a male student told school administrators about "suspicious behavior" he witnessed between the girl and the instructor, according to a news release from Tooele City police.
A probable cause statement says that behavior included spending time with the female student in a portable classroom on school property with the doors locked and windows covered.
The girl later told police that she and Dragon had been alone on several occasions in the portable classroom, where he had touched her breasts and they had sex three times.
Though police are not releasing a timeline for the abuse, Dragon had been working as a military instructor at the school since August, said Tooele County School District spokeswoman Marie Denson. He was not employed by the district, but worked at the high school through a partnership with the Army with the "Students Taking Active Roles" program.
Investigators have not discovered additional victims, said Tooele City police officer Tanya Turnbow, but will continuing looking into that possibility in the "super sensitive case."
Dragon had been working as an instructor since November 2014 following two combat tours as an infantryman, including one in Afghanistan, said Utah Army spokesman Jeff Ross. The recruiting position, based at a center in West Valley City, was supposed to be a three-year break from combat, allowing Dragon to return to the field in late 2017.
It is unclear, Ross said, what effect the allegations could have on Dragon's future military service. He has been taken off recruiting and placed in an administrative role since the reports were filed. The Army is "fully cooperating" with the investigation, Ross said.
Dragon has not been charged in any similar cases, according to Utah court records.
The school district spoke with the girl's parents and offered counseling options, Denson said. Administrators also applauded the boy who "trusted his instincts" and came forward with the report.
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner