Judge sentences convicted sex offender to prison for groping woman inside store

LOGAN — A judge has sentenced Azadeen Altom to prison, after the convicted sex-offender previously admitted to groping a woman inside a grocery store in February. Judge Kevin Allen ordered the 43-year-old Logan man to a term of zero-to-five-years, calling the case disturbing.

Altom appeared in 1st District Court Monday afternoon. In March, he pleaded guilty to one count of forcible sexual abuse, reduced to a third-degree felony. He was arrested in February, after a woman claimed he assaulted her, while she was shopping. The woman reported the defendant approached her and grabbed her buttocks.

In March 2018, Altom walked into Mt. Logan Middle School and was seen sitting in the school’s cafeteria, watching a group of girls. A month later he was arrested, after officers were called to a store on report that he was harassing a teenage girl.

During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Bryan Galloway said Altom, who is originally from Sudan, doesn’t understand the culture here and needs more education to live in society. He didn’t believe the defendant was a sex offender or stalker, he just doesn’t understand what is legal and what is not.

State attorney Griffin Hazzard disagreed, saying if Altom is not able to grasp cultural differences, and understand that you don’t walk up to woman and grab them, he can’t be in society. He also noted the defendant’s criminal behavior has been going since 2012.

Judge Allen recognized the cultural differences, but said he didn’t know of any culture where it is appropriate to grab a woman in the grocery store after just meeting them. He explained no woman or man should have to put up with that type of behavior in our community.


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