SANDY, Utah – A man who was already listed on the state sex offender registry for assaulting a woman more than ten years ago was arrested this week after he allegedly raped a woman so severely the victim’s nurse called her injuries the worst she’s ever seen.
Sandy police said Michael Kooyman allegedly raped a woman Sunday night and into Monday morning, and they said they are investigating the possibility that Kooyman may have drugged the victim before sexually assaulting her at gunpoint. Police said they are also working to determine if there are other victims out there.
Sgt. Jon Arnold, Sandy Police Department, said they arrested Kooyman after serving a search warrant on his home in Sandy.
"When you have predators out there, it's always good to have them off the street,” he said.
Detectives said Kooyman sexually assaulted and brutalized at a woman at that residence. Arnold said Kooyman and the woman were acquaintances who had planned to go out with a large group of friends Sunday. When the others backed out, Kooyman and the victim went out for drinks and then back to his house.
The victim told police that when they returned to his home, Kooyman displayed a handgun and told her that anyone who messes with his family ends up in a ditch.
"At some point, she felt that she was under the influence of a drug,” Arnold said. “He made some threats towards her at that location and ultimately sexually assaulted her.”
The victim told police she repeatedly told Kooyman to stop, but according to court documents, “Kooyman laughed at [victim] as he continued to sexually assault her.”
Arnold said the victim called police after Kooyman fell asleep. She ran to Highland Drive, where police picked her up and took her to a hospital. A sexual assault nurse noted more than 24 abrasions and she reported the injuries to be the most severe she has seen.
Detectives found Kooyman was a convicted sex offender listed on the state registry for a forcible sexual abuse attack in 2001.
Arnold said they are worried Kooyman may have attacked other victims.
"The concern that we have is that this behavior is not isolated and that there's other individuals out there, victims possibly out there, where he’s taken advantage of situations and done similar things."
Detectives found a black handgun in Kooyman’s home during the search. They also found some clear liquid they believe to be a so-called date rape drug named GHB. That substance is now being tested.
As a convicted felon, Kooyman is prohibited from having firearms. A conviction for possessing the firearm or the alleged assault could result in significant prison time.
