Ex-seminary principal pleads not guilty to sex charges

AMERICAN FORK — A former seminary principal accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 15 felonies.

Michael Pratt, 37, the former principal of Lone Peak High School's seminary program, faces 14 first-degree felonies and one second-degree felony, including forcible sodomy, object rape, rape and forcible sex abuse. Prosecutors say he violated a "special position of trust" by carrying out the alleged months-long relationship.

Judge Christine Johnson set an eight-day trial in 4th District Court starting April 12. Pratt's next scheduled court date is a pre-trial conference on March 30.

He did not speak at his arraignment Tuesday or as he left the courthouse. His attorney, Dusty Kawai, informed the judge of Pratt's plea.

Prosecutor Julia Thomas said the testimony of the alleged victim at a preliminary hearing last month was only "a fraction of the evidence out there." She said there are "many witnesses" who can corroborate aspects of the state's case against Pratt.

"I do feel this is a strong case," Thomas said. She declined to discuss the possibility of plea negotiations with Pratt and his attorneys.

The girl, now 17, detailed at last month's hearing several sexual encounters she said she had with "Brother Pratt."

In early June, she said, Pratt picked her up twice from Especially For Youth, a weeklong LDS religious camp, and drove her to places where they could be intimate. She also detailed several instances in May where she said she hid in his car so he could sneak her out of school for sexual encounters in locations throughout Utah County.

Pratt was initially charged with 21 felonies, but six charges were dropped last month because the judge said testimony was not presented to support them.

The girl said her relationship with Pratt began as she frequently skipped her seminary class to spend time in his office. Pratt told her detailed fantasies, and the relationship later turned sexual as they discussed running away to get married either in Las Vegas or Africa, she said.

The girl said she was so stressed out she had an anxiety attack and ended up in the hospital.

She said the places they had sexual encounters included Bridal Veil Falls, the seminary building's roof, a mine near Eureka, a ravine near her house, an abandoned boxcar in Vivian Park and an empty house in her neighborhood.

Pratt was arrested July 9 after someone filed a report with the state Division of Child and Family Services. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fired him after the allegations surfaced.

e-mail: pkoepp@desnews.com