Former Utah Teacher Charged For Allegedly Raping 14-Year-Old Student

A former junior high teacher and coach from Utah was arrested and charged with rape for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a minor student on multiple occasions.

Zachery Denison, who was a teacher and basketball coach at the Mt. Nebo Junior High in Payson, is facing multiple counts of rape charges after he allegedly had sex with his 14-year-old student.

A probable cause affidavit stated the female victim reported the incident to the authorities on Nov. 29. The girl said the two had sex for the first time in February 2019 inside a vehicle parked near the Payson Canyon.

The victim, who was 14 at the time, said she and 28-year-old Denison had sex on multiple occasions at several other locations in Utah County, including both their homes.

Their relationship continued even after Denison moved to Colorado where he joined as a teacher and coach at Berthoud High School.

He "would travel back to Utah occasionally where he would assault the child by having sexual intercourse with her," the affidavit stated, adding their relationship lasted for nearly two years, the Salt Lake Tribune stated.

Following an investigation, Denison was detained for questioning during which he confessed to the police about having sexual intercourse with the girl about 10 times, the last of which was in August this year.

He said the relationship was consensual and also confessed to sharing nude photographs of each other over Instagram chats. The affidavit stated Denison voluntarily handed over his cell phone and laptop to the authorities, Daily Herald reported.

Following the confession, he was taken into custody and charged with multiple counts of rape. He remained in jail as of Wednesday without bail. He was scheduled to appear in court again on Dec.17.

The incident comes months after a school teacher in Idaho was taken into custody and charged with felony sexual battery on a minor after he kissed a 17-year-old student and groped her.