MURRAY — A 61-year-old Minnesota man in Utah for a religious event was arrested over the weekend and accused of sexually abusing two teen girls.
Bu Taw was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of three counts of forcible sexual abuse, aggravated kidnapping, enticing a minor and witness tampering.
The investigation began Saturday when Murray police were called to a church at 460 W. Century Drive on a report that two girls, ages 14 and 16, had been sexually abused.
One teen told police she met Taw “at the religious event. But Taw was selling traditional clothing and the girls went to try clothing on,” according to a police booking affidavit.
Both teens said Taw offered them free clothing. He also invited one girl back to his minivan in the parking lot to try on additional clothes, the affidavit states. When she got to the van, however, she found it was empty.
“(The girl) felt like she couldn’t say no due to Bu Taw being an elder in the culture and it was not respectful to be rude and decline,” the affidavit says.
Inside the van, Taw allegedly touched the girl inappropriately and continued to ask for kisses. When he was done, he gave her “a $100 bill and told her not to tell anyone what had happened,” the affidavit alleges.
The girl, however, went back inside the church and told her friend what had happened, and the friend “said she was also assaulted by Bu Taw,” according to police.
The second teen said “a group of girls (were) taking pictures with Bu Taw in the traditional clothing they were trying on” and Taw inappropriately touched her, the affidavit states.
Police say Taw “is from Minnesota and only came to Utah for a religious event.”
