Man accused of sex abuse

FARMINGTON — Davis County prosecutors have filed numerous charges against a Clinton man accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl.

Richard Ray Marcroft, 43, made a brief appearance in 2nd District Court on Tuesday where he was formally charged with two counts of first-degree felony forcible sodomy; two counts of forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony; and a single count of dealing in harmful material to a minor. Marcroft was initially booked into the Davis County Jail on Monday on investigation of 20 counts of sex abuse.

"The incidents have been going on for years. It happened so frequently it was too numerous to name," deputy Davis County Attorney Richard Larsen told the judge. "We could have filed far more."

Handcuffed and wearing jeans and a T-shirt, Marcroft indicated he would be hiring a lawyer. He signed a protective order preventing him from contacting the victim. The judge set bail at $25,000.

According to a probable cause statement filed with the criminal charges, Marcroft performed sex acts on a 14-year-old girl over the course of several years. He also showed her pornography, prosecutors wrote.

Clinton Police Lt. Dave Valentine said Tuesday that the girl, who is 17 now, recently disclosed the alleged abuse to family members, who called authorities. The case remains under investigation, he said.

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