This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A University of Utah employee who was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman after taking her back to the campus was charged in 3rd District Court on Wednesday with several felonies and is in jail without bond.
The eight charges leveled against Lonnie Dell Norton, 49, include aggravated kidnapping, three counts of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary, all first-degree felonies. Norton also was charged with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanor counts of protective order violation and interruption of a telecommunications device.
Charging documents allege that Norton broke into the home of a woman he knew early Sunday morning and punched her in the face when she was trying to call for help on her phone.
The woman told investigators that Norton duct-taped her head and mouth and forced her into his vehicle at gunpoint. He allegedly drove her to a building at the University of Utah campus, where he removed the duct tape and then pointed a handgun at her. He allegedly threatened to kill her and then kill himself.
The woman also told police that he had sex with her against her will in the campus building. Norton was the director of College Computing for the College of Humanities at the time of the alleged assault.
Norton then took the woman to his residence. After a few hours, he drove her back to her residence in Sandy, where she called 911.
The woman was granted a protective order against Norton in October.
On Wednesday, prosecutors were granted a request to hold Norton in jail without bond, citing concern for the woman's safety if he were to be released.
Kimball Bennion