Salt Lake City man charged with raping lesbian has been released without bail
Victim claims her assailant told her he would "fix the gay" after she resisted his advances
A Salt Lake City man accused of raping and assaulting a lesbian while telling her he was going to “fix the gay” has been released without bail while he awaits trial.
Adam Atwood, 34, was arrested on March 25 on two charges of first-degree felony rape, three charges of first-degree object rape, one charge of first-degree aggravated kidnapping, and one charge of first-degree felony forcible sodomy.
He was also faces two counts of second-degree forcible sexual assault, and two counts of second-degree aggravated assault for allegedly raping a friend of his wife’s during a drunken attack.
According to charging documents, the victims was visiting Atwood’s wife when the attack occurred. After a while, the wife disappeared, and Atwood, who appeared to be drunk, asked the woman to accompany him to a nearby convenience store so he could get more beer.
When they returned to the house, the woman told police Atwood began touching her inappropriately, to which she objected.
“She told the suspect to stop and no, and he asked her if she was sure she didn’t like it, and if she was sure she was gay,” the probable cause statement reads, according to the Salt Lake City-based ABC4.
The woman claimed that when she tried to leave, Atwood came out to her car, “grabbed her by the back of the neck and forced her back into the house.”
He then allegedly pushed her down the stairs, picked her up, and pushed her down to the basement. She claims he placed his arm around her neck and choked her until she temporarily blacked out.
The victim also claims she told Atwood she was a lesbian and “didn’t like guys,” pleading with him to stop. But according to the police report, she claimed Atwood “told her he was going to fix the gay.”
He then allegedly raped her, sexually assaulted her, and threw her up against the wall. She claimed she tried to remind Atwood that his wife and children were upstairs, but he didn’t stop.
He then beat her, grabbed her by the back of the neck, began strangling her, and threw her to the ground, where she hit her head on the coffee table. She claims Atwood then strangled her and raped her a second time.
See also: Woman charged as part of mob attack against Philadelphia transgender woman
The victim claimed she grabbed him by his genitals and was able to escape. She made it to her car and locked the doors as Atwood allegedly yelled, “You better not tell anyone,” according to charging documents. She called the police and underwent a rape examination.
Police arrested Atwood, who claimed he “did not rape anyone” and demanded a lawyer. He has been held in the Salt Lake County Jail since his arrest. His original bail was set at $750,000 but was lowered to $150,000 in April.
When the warrant for his arrest was issued, it requested that if Atwood was released, that he be required to wear a GPS tracking device, have not contact with the victim, denied Internet access, and have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.
On Oct. 19, Judge Kristine Johnson approved Atwood for pre-trial release without bail. The conditions of his release were not made public. He is next scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2.
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