CEDAR CITY, Utah – A man faces a total of 17 charges for allegedly touching women inappropriately while working for Iron County School District and for allegedly accessing pornography while on school grounds.
According to a press release from the Cedar City Police Department, 39-year-old Samuel Naim El-Halta was arrested Friday afternoon after the culmination of three months of investigation. The investigation began in November after police were made aware the man had allegedly been accessing pornography, “on school grounds, while at work for the Iron County School District.”
The release did not specify what sort of work the man does for the school district.
After seizing and examining a computer used by El-Halta during his employment, officials located at least ten pornographic images that were directly linked to personal accounts of El-Halta. The release states that during the investigation, seven adult women were identified as having been touched inappropriately by El-Halta. The alleged touching was generally described as the touching of breasts or buttocks over clothing, according to the press release. The incidents occurred over the course of several months during routine encounters with the victims.
Police stated that while the incidents with the adult victims occurred on school grounds, there were no students among the victims. They said there is no evidence at this point that suggests students were ever victims of the man.
El-Halta was booked into the Iron County Jail on seven counts of sexual battery as a class A misdemeanor and on 10 counts of a class A misdemeanor charge for accessing pornographic material while on school property.
