LOGAN — A 21-year-old former Hill Air Force Base service member has been ordered to serve four months in jail and four years of probation for sexually abusing a Logan woman. Kevin Joo was handcuffed by court bailiffs and taken into custody after the victim described how he had raped her following a party in August.
Joo was sentenced Wednesday in Logan’s First District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to an amended count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
On Aug. 6, police were called to investigate a sexual assault. The woman had gone to a hospital for treatment and later went to the police department for an interview.
The victim said she had met Joo on the dating app Hinge. After communicating back and forth for some time, they agreed to meet at the woman’s apartment in Logan on Aug. 2.
The victim told police she and Joo had a few drinks and then got a ride to a friend’s house to attend a birthday party. She said she became uncomfortable when he began making unwanted advances toward her in front of other partygoers. Multiple witnesses later attested to observing his behavior.
Once the party concluded, the woman said she and Joo got a ride back to her residence. Once there, she said the defendant was again kissing and touching her against her will. This continued until he reportedly sexually assaulted her.
The victim later texted Joo about the incident. He reportedly apologized and stated that he had been caught up in the moment.
During Wednesday’s sentencing, the victim described the trauma she experienced over the past year as unimaginable. “Everything I knew about myself died the day Joo raped me,” she said.
Joo told the court he deeply regretted the harm he had caused. “As a member of the Air Force, I was supposed to live a higher set of standards, which I didn’t,” he said. His attorney, Susanne Gustin, said he lost his career in the military after being arrested.
In addition to the jail and probation time, Judge Angela Fonnesbeck prohibited Joo from having any contact with the victim. He was also ordered to be placed on the sex offender registry for 10 years and complete sex offender therapy.