3 arrested in gang-rape of girl

Three suspected gang members from Las Vegas were arrested in Salt Lake County after allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl and taking pictures of the attack.

Investigators were alerted after the men tried to get the pictures developed at a one-hour photo shop in Magna Thursday evening. The photo clerk called the sheriff's office after finding sexually explicit pictures of a juvenile being gang-raped, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Rosie Rivera.

The girl was unconscious in the photos, and the alleged attackers were posing for the camera and flashing gang signs, she said.

"They like trophies," Rivera said of the suspected gang members. "They tend to take photos of the crimes they commit."

Both the sex crimes unit and the Metro Gang Unit were contacted. A vehicle with a license plate was in one of the pictures, Rivera said. Investigators traced an address connected to that plate number. A person at that address was able to identify the alleged attackers in the pictures, Rivera said.

One by one, three of them were arrested over the weekend. Each was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of rape of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor. Some of them also had other minor warrants. Other charges may also be pending, Rivera said.

All the suspects are in their early 20s. The gang unit said they were identified as gang members out of Las Vegas who migrated to Utah to look for jobs a few months ago, Rivera said.

Detectives were looking for a possible fourth attacker Monday afternoon.

Investigators said Monday the victim was doing well. They were looking at the possibility that the girl was unconscious during the attack because she was drugged either by alcohol or a date rape drug, Rivera said.

There seemed to be some sort of prior acquaintance between the victim and her alleged attackers, but Rivera said deputies weren't sure how well the men knew her.

Investigators were going through the pictures again Monday to determine if there were any additional victims.

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