VERNAL, Utah (ABC4 News) – A former Uintah High School teacher has been arrested after new information was reported to law enforcement regarding a “relationship” he had with a student in 2016.
Facing six counts of unlawful sexual activity with a 16 or 17-year-old, Rodd Adam Repsher, 33, was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Uintah County Jail.
In a press release issued by Uintah County Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 11, 2016, a detective was informed Repsher had been found alone in his classroom with a 16-year-old girl by another teacher.
The teacher told the detective Repsher admitted he had feelings for the girl and they were going away together after she graduated.
The Uintah School District put Repsher on administrative leave the same day and he never returned to the classroom. His employment was subsequently terminated. Repsher had been teaching at the high school since August 2012.
The victim was interviewed by law enforcement, but she did not make any disclosures. The school district cooperated fully and provided the sheriff’s office with all the information from its internal investigation, including emails from Repsher’s school account.
No criminal charges were filed, however, based on the information that was available at the time.
In July 2019, one of the victim’s classmates contacted the school resource officer assigned to Uintah High.
The witness told the detective that in 2016, the victim told her she was in a relationship with Repsher. A few days later, the girls both went to Repsher’s house where the girl said she witnessed Repsher kissing her friend on multiple occasions that night. She also told detectives they all had plans to move to another state together, documents state.
The witness said at any time girls “needed comfort” during the school day, Repsher would kiss them on the cheek and slap them on the buttocks in his classroom. Repsher also said he had feelings for the victim and had planned to leave his girlfriend at the time, according to a press release.
After receiving this new information, the detective reached out to the victim, who is now an adult and lives in another state.
During the interview, which took place in mid-September, the woman disclosed that she and Repsher engaged in sexual activity multiple times when she was 16 and he was a teacher at the high school. The encounters happened at the school, at Repsher’s home and at a local business where Repsher also worked, documents state.
This investigation is ongoing because the report involved allegations that there may be multiple victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 435-789-2511.
Sexual Assault:
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1-888-421-1100.
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