Sex offender is accused of abuse

OGDEN — Police have arrested a convicted sex offender accused of befriending a disabled woman and molesting her.

Kim Paul Hildreth, 28, befriended a woman who suffers from both physical and mental disabilities, leaving her wheelchair-bound and with the mental capacity of a 12-year-old, police said Monday. Over the course of a couple of weeks, investigators said he frequently visited the woman at her parents' home, befriending them.

"He befriended her and told her parents that he was active in the church and was a good guy, and they allowed their daughter to be with him," Ogden Police Lt. Tony Fox said Monday. "He took advantage of that."

Police said during a couple of encounters, Hildreth fondled the woman.

"They'd only known each other for a couple of weeks, initially," Fox said. "They went for a walk, and he allegedly took liberties."

On March 20, police were contacted after the woman told her parents of the abuse. Late last week, Hildreth was booked into the Weber County Jail and was charged Friday with two counts of forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony. He was scheduled to make his first appearance from jail via video on Monday, where he is being held without bail.

The Utah Sex Offender Registry said that Hildreth has a 2002 conviction of third-degree felony unlawful sexual activity with a minor. The online registry said he was released from prison in October 2008.

— Ben Winslow