facebook-pixel

Utah man facing multiple child sex abuse charges uses a razor to mutilate himself in jail

(Photo courtesy Tooele County Sheriff's Office) Mark A. Swann

A Grantsville man who is facing two dozen felony charges after he allegedly sexually abused several children — including an autistic boy — is back in the Tooele County jail after he “mutilated” himself with a razor blade.

Mark A. Swan, 48, “self-mutilated” on Sunday with a razor that had been “secreted” into his jail cell, said Tooele County Sheriff's Lt. Ray Clinton. “He received treatment for his wounds at a local hospital and returned to the Tooele County Detention Center.”

Swan appeared at a scheduled court hearing on Tuesday.

Clinton did not say how the razor was smuggled into the jail, and he did not specify what wounds Swan inflicted on himself, citing medical privacy laws.

Swann was charged on July 22 with 13 felonies — four counts of sodomy on a child, four counts of object rape of a child and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, all first-degree felonies; and three counts of attempted sex abuse of a child, third-degree felonies

According to a probable cause statement, the charges involve Swann exposing himself to, “inappropriately” touching and trying to force two girls, ages 7 and 11, to touch his genitals. A 13-year-old autistic boy told police Swann “had been raping him for more than four years.”

Four days later, after additional victims came forward, prosecutors added 11 counts — two for rape of a child, one for object rape of a child, three for sodomy on a child, and two for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, first degree felonies; and three for sex abuse of a child, second-degree felonies.

A girl under the age of 14 told police she had been “consistently sexually abused for the last two years” by Swann, adding that “the abuse occurred so many times that she could not recount every instance.” In addition, a boy under the age of 14 told police Swann had touched him inappropriately three different times.