WEBER COUNTY, Utah — Police in Weber County are asking other potential victims to come forward after an additional victim reported a man arrested at the end of January had also sexually assaulted her in 2015.
According to a press release from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, Ryan Meloni, 20, was arrested January 30 after the parents of a teenage victim found him in their daughter’s bedroom.
Meloni had allegedly met a 16-year-old girl at a party in Davis County, and that girl and a friend later went to a party in Ogden with Meloni, who gave the victim alcohol and drugs.
Meloni dropped the victim off at her home in Uintah City, then left with her friend. The friend didn’t want him to drive while drunk, and after an altercation Meloni pulled over, forcibly removed the girl, physically assaulted her and then left her on the roadside.
The man then allegedly returned to the home of the victim in Uintah City, where he made his way to her bedroom and, “sexually assaulted the victim [who was] extremely impaired and could not consent.”
Later that morning, the victim’s parents found Meloni and called police. He was arrested and faces charges that include, assault, rape, and forcible sodomy. Meloni remains in the Weber County Jail.
As detectives investigated that case, another female came forward and alleged Meloni assaulted her in 2015. The victim reported the man had handcuffed her, raped her and sodomized her. That investigation is being undertaken by the Bountiful Police Department.
Police state that, “Given the egregious nature of these two offenses, investigators believe Meloni may be a sexual predator. There is concern that there may be other victims out there who have been sexually assaulted by Meloni, but who have been afraid to come forward.”
Authorities urge anyone who may have been assaulted by Meloni, or anyone who has knowledge of other attacks, to contact their local police department or the Weber County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau, which can be reached at 801-778-6631.
