SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers are considering a bill that would define the "ritualistic" abuse of children.
If passed, the bill would place ritual abuse into law for the first time in Utah history — designating it as a second-degree felony.
"'Ritual' means an event or act or a series of events or acts marked by specific actions, gestures, or words, designed to commemorate, celebrate, or solemnize a particular occasion or significance in a religious, cultural, social, institutional, or other context," according to the bill.
Brett Bluth, a Utah resident, helped write the bill. He has reported being sexually assaulted by his therapist David Hamblin during "conversion therapy."
Hamblin and his ex-wife, Roselle "Rosie" Stevenson, are currently facing charges of sexual assault after being arrested by the Utah County Sheriff's Office based on the reports of other alleged victims.
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith declined to comment on the pending cases, but he released the following statement voicing support for the bill.
"It is unfortunate that this type of criminal behavior needs to be more specifically defined and addressed in our laws, but sadly it does," Smith said. "This type of heinous crime does exist and should have criminal statutes to address it specifically."
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill also released a statement voicing his office's commitment to prosecuting child abuse, regardless of whether this bill passes.
“Currently, when I look at the things that are speculatively done to harm a child, whether it is in the context of physical abuse or sexual abuse, whether it is shrouded under the cloth of ritual or patriotic duty, if you do any of this conduct to a child we already have remedies that are available to prosecute those as the law stands today,” Gill said.
FOX 13 News has also reached out to other prosecutorial agencies in Utah. We will update this story as they comment on the bill.
Utah has studied ritualistic abuse in the past.
A 1992 study published by the Utah State Task Force on Ritual Abuse concluded "ritual abuse was occurring in Utah as a significant problem and recommended that the legislature appropriate $250,000 to the Utah Attorney General's Office to hire four investigators for a year."
Stay with FOX 13 News for updates on this story.
