LOGAN — A 75-year-old Hyde Park woman has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing multiple children decades ago. Ruth Z. Worthen was booked Tuesday night into the Cache County Jail on suspicion of committing numerous crimes.
Cache County Sheriff’s Lt. Mikelshan Bartschi said multiple individuals have reported being sexually victimized as children by Ms. Worthen. These claims span roughly thirty years and reportedly took place at various locations in Cache County. The allegations also suggest additional individuals were victimized by the suspect.
According to an arrest affidavit, four individuals contacted the Cache County Sheriff’s Office in March 2023, claiming Worthen had sexually abused them when they were children. Each one was interviewed separately and explained in graphic detail the memories they had of years of abuse.
The two men and two women described similar incidents to deputies of how Worthen would repeatedly molest and rape them when they were children. Several times, they claimed how they were also forced to engage in sexual activities with other adults or children. The crimes were documented to have occurred at various locations, including Worthen’s home in Hyde Park, the Logan Cemetery, a turkey farm in Hyrum, a church bathroom and in the nearby mountains.
The two men and two women are all related to Worthen, making her a person of trust based on their young age at the times of the allegations. They also claimed the suspect would groom, manipulate, record, and threaten to harm them or others if they told anyone about the abuse, the probable cause statement detailed.
Investigators noted that due to the time in which some of the offenses occurred, the statute of limitations appeared to preclude some additional charges from being filed.
A search warrant was obtained for Worthen’s home, where deputies reportedly found a camcorder and a number of old tapes potentially consistent with the time frame. Deputies also questioned the suspect, who denied the allegations and appeared to shift blame onto other individuals, according to the court documents.
Jail records show, Worthen was booked on 18 felony offences of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and object rape of a child. She will likely be arraigned on formal charges in 1st District Court within the coming days.
Bartschi said the Sheriff’s Office strongly recommends prevention and education efforts for children. Programs like the “good touch, bad touch” youth training or some similar programs that are age-appropriate can aid in ensuring children are educated in appropriate boundaries.
In the PC Statement, investigators asked the court to hold Worthen without bail due to the “depth of the alleged abuse.” They also claim she would pose a “grave danger to any child with whom she has contact.” She currently is being held, pending arraignment, and could face up to life in prison, if convicted.
Bartschi said the sheriff’s office is concerned there may be more victims and others who might have information regarding the case. They are asking anyone with knowledge about the matter to contact the Investigations Division at 435-755-1212.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.