A Utah man accused of raping a 13-year-old avoided prison and sex offender registration—after the law was quietly changed during a legislative session overseen by his powerful relative.
The accused, an 18-year-old male, was related to Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams, who was leading the chamber when a sweeping sex crimes bill was passed in 2024. That bill, SB213, softened penalties for certain sex crimes involving teens still in high school.
The timing and content of the bill have sparked outrage.
“I feel like the rapist just got special treatment… and nobody was going to say anything about it,” the mother of the 13-year-old victim told The Salt Lake Tribune.
Before the bill passed, the 18-year-old could have faced first-degree felony child rape charges—a crime that carries six years to life in prison and mandatory sex offender registration. Instead, after pleading guilty to reduced charges, he walked free with just one week of jail time already served. He will not be labeled a sex offender.
A key change in SB213 allowed 18-year-old high school students to face lesser charges typically reserved for 17-year-olds—charges that don’t require sex offender status or lengthy prison time. That change directly benefited the 18-year-old in question.
Though the bill wasn’t retroactive, it gave prosecutors cover to cut a softer plea deal, according to court documents. “You saw the legislative change,” said prosecutor Cara Tangaro in court. “We all agree that’s not retroactive, but the government did change their offer based on that.”
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, the bill’s sponsor, admitted to The Tribune that Adams had asked for the charges against his relative to be reviewed during the drafting process.
Adams denies any wrongdoing: “Some have suggested this change was made to benefit the case I was made aware of involving the high school senior. That is simply not true… I did not request the legislation and did not intervene or give input on the drafting of the bill.”
But critics say the facts speak for themselves. A powerful lawmaker’s family member was accused of raping a child—and walked away without prison time, after the law was rewritten under that lawmaker’s watch.
The revised law now applies to all future cases across Utah.
