‘Ritual’ sex abuse case: Utah County Sheriff’s Office says a judge’s dismissal of charges against a central suspect was ‘abhorrent’
The sheriff’s office said it didn’t get the chance to defend its investigators in court, and said it handed over critical evidence to prosecutors in 2022. Defense attorneys didn’t get that evidence until this year.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith speaks during a news conference in June 2022 about his department's ritual sex abuse investigation. The sheriff's department on Thursday said it was "shocked" that a judge dismissed criminal charges against a central suspect last week after finding police and prosecutors withheld evidence.