Bail increased for Ogden man in teen boy's kidnapping, sexual abuse

An Ogden man accused of kidnapping and sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy was returned to jail Monday, just over a week after he posted bail in the case.

On Jan. 17, bail for Ryan Mitchell Schaffer, 34, was set at $35,000. The man was charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, along with three third-degree felony counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor — accused of kidnapping the victim from a train station and forcing the victim to commit sexual acts with him over several days in July.

After that initial appearance, Schaffer bailed out of the Weber County jail.

But during Schaffer's court appearance on Monday, Deputy Weber County Attorney Letitia Toombs asked 2nd District Judge Mark DeCaria to order Schaffer to be kept in the jail on a no-bail hold, arguing the charges against Schaffer had been heightened to four first-degree felonies — one charge of aggravated kidnapping and three charges of forcible sodomy.

"The state believes that this person presents a risk to the community," Toombs said. "This defendant was seen near and around the apartment where the victim lives."

Toombs also argued that Schaffer was a flight risk, because Schaffer fled Utah after the alleged crime and was eventually arrested in California and had to be extradited back to the state.

Schaffer's attorney, Nathan Carroll, asked the judge to continue Monday's hearing, as he did not have enough notice to prepare arguments.

DeCaria opted to have Schaffer taken into custody Monday morning, and set bail for $100,000 cash-only. A bail hearing and preliminary hearing was scheduled for Feb. 10.

Police say Schaffer approached the teen at a FrontRunner station on July 3 and threatened him with a knife. Schaffer allegedly took the boy all over Ogden over the next three days and forced the boy to have sex, sometimes at gunpoint.

Schaffer is a registered sex offender in Utah, stemming from a 2007 case in Salt Lake County case where he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree felony exploitation of a minor.

jmiller@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jm_miller