LOGAN — A 73-year-old Clarkston man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he considered “like family” and subsequently violated a protective order she filed against him, according to law enforcement. Ervin Lane Webley was booked into the Cache County Jail following an incident in September.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Webley and the victim were sitting in his backyard, when he allegedly made inappropriate comments about the woman’s marriage before dropping to his knees and sexually assaulting her. The victim told deputies she was “so shocked she could not focus” and immediately fled the residence.
Though the victim did not initially report the assault, she informed authorities that Webley’s behavior began to escalate. Neighbors reported seeing Webley drive past the woman’s home repeatedly. The victim eventually obtained a protective order requiring the Clarkston man to stay at least 100 feet away from her and her residence.
Despite the legal order, the woman documented Webley driving slowly past her house on multiple occasions. The harassment became so severe that the alleged victim, who had never previously owned a weapon, told investigators she felt compelled to begin carrying a firearm for her own safety.
During an interview with Cache County Sheriff’s deputies, Webley allegedly admitted he “may have” made sexual comments to the woman but claimed she had ruined their relationship. When questioned about violating the protective order, Webley told deputies that driving past her home was his “only way out of town” and a route he had used for 35 years. Investigators noted, however, that several alternative routes exist that would not have required him to pass the victim’s residence.
Webley made an initial appearance Monday afternoon in Logan’s 1st District Court, appearing by web conference from jail. He was charged with forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanors for stalking and violating a protective order.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck assigned Webley a public defender and set bond at $10,000. She ordered him to follow the protective order and have no contact with the accuser.
Webley is scheduled to appear again in court Feb. 2. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.