Teen details trysts she says she had with principal

AMERICAN FORK — A former Lone Peak High School student Tuesday detailed several sexual encounters she said she had with the principal of the school's seminary program.

The girl, now 17, testified that she shared many things with Michael J. Pratt earlier this year: her concerns, her fantasies, birthday gifts and even the swine flu.

She said in early June while she was attending Especially For Youth, a weeklong LDS religious camp, Pratt picked her up twice and drove her to places where they could be intimate. That followed several instances in May where she said he pulled her out of school for sex in locations throughout Utah County.

The testimony came during a preliminary hearing for Pratt, who was initially charged with 21 felonies, including forcible sodomy, object rape and forcible sex abuse. Fourth District Judge Christine Johnson Tuesday ordered him to stand trial on 15 of those charges. Six felonies were dropped because the judge said testimony was not presented to support them.

Pratt, 37, is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 10 on 14 first-degree felonies and one second-degree felony.

The girl said the second time he picked her up from Especially For Youth, they engaged only in kissing because she had the swine flu. She testified that "Brother Pratt" also got the H1N1 flu after the encounter.

The girl said her relationship with Pratt began as a friendship when she asked for his permission to change seminary teachers. She ended up spending more time in his office than in seminary class, she said, and the relationship later turned sexual as they discussed running away to get married either in Las Vegas or Africa.

"He seemed like a good friend and I trusted him," she said. "Right away I had feelings of friendship for him."

At one point, she said, Pratt told her he loved her and described a detailed fantasy involving sneaking her out of school in his car, having sex at a bed and breakfast and fulfilling her dream of going to Africa. Then, she said, he tried to make that fantasy a reality.

But the stress of the situation was so great she had an anxiety attack and ended up in the hospital, the girl said.

Near the end of the school year, the teen testified that Pratt took her from the high school several times. She described how Pratt would give her his car keys and she would get into his car and lie down in the back seat. Pratt would then get into his car and drive as far as the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork. Once there, she said, Pratt would allow her to sit in the front seat and they would drive to places including Vivian Park and Bridal Veil Falls.