Utah therapist admits to sexual relationship with teen client

By Jessica Miller The Salt Lake Tribune

Published: January 30, 2014 7:57 pm
Centerville • Police were notified of abuse after girl told her bishop.
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A Centerville therapist accused of having sex with a teenage client has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Scott Andrew Peterson, 36, of Bountiful, was originally charged in Farmington's 2nd District Court with first-degree felony sodomy, three counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and one count of class B misdemeanor lewdness.

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and the remaining charges were dismissed.

Peterson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10.

The licensed clinical social worker owned Therapy on the Fly in Centerville before it closed in August, police said. Police said the teenage girl was receiving therapy from Peterson, and their "sexual relations" occurred at the Main Street business.

The encounters occurred between March and August, according to the charges. In plea agreement documents, Peterson admitted that he "touched the breasts and vagina" of the then-14-year-old girl.

Police said the girl confided in her bishop about the alleged abuse, and the legal department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints notified police.

jmiller@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jm_miller

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