Social worker sentenced to prison for having sex with teenage girl

Donavan Faucette, 38, social worker with Bear River Mental Health who was arrested early Monday morning, accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old client.

LOGAN — A 35-year-old social worker from Hyrum, Donavan Faucette has been sentenced to prison for having sex with a 16-year-old girl.

Faucette cried and wiped away tears Monday morning, as he stood in 1st District Court. Judge Thomas Willmore ordered him to serve five-years-to-life in the Utah State Prison.

Faucette was arrested in May 2015 after telling a supervisor at Bear River Mental Health, where he was employed, that he had sex with a client. He drove the girl into Logan Canyon and had oral sex with her near the turnoff to Temple Fork Canyon. Deputies arrested him two days later and booked him in the Cache County Jail.  He later pleaded guilty to one count of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony.

During sentencing, Faucette told the court he had lived in “absolute hell,” thinking about the pain he had caused so many people, and hoped they could find peace. He said he had made a series of horrible choices.

Defense attorney Shannon Demler told Judge Willmore, Faucette was a young man who no one would ever expect doing what he did, noting he was an Eagle Scout, returned missionary for the LDS Church and has a wife and six children.

Judge Willmore said he was sickened that Faucette, who was in a position of authority, told investigators he saw characteristics in the victim that reminded him of his wife. The investigation reports also claimed, he fantasized about living with her in a polygamous relationship.

During sentencing, a victim’s advocate read a statement from the victim saying she had forgiven Faucette and hoped he would find mercy.

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