Booking photo for Devoney I. Stanley (Courtesy: Cache County Jail).
LOGAN — A 22-year-old Logan man has confessed to sexually abusing a woman in 2019 while attending Utah State University. Devoney Imon Stanley waived his right to a fair trial and accepted a plea deal that could send him to prison for up to 15 years.
Stanley participated in a change of plea hearing Wednesday morning in 1st District Court. He pleaded guilty to one count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
According to prosecutors, the crime occurred on campus in May 2019. The victim and defendant were acquaintances and had previously been in a relationship.
The woman told police how on the night of the crime, she woke up to find Stanley in her bed molesting her. He was later booked into the Cache County Jail and released on $10,000 bail.
The case had been delayed for several years, partially due to COVID 19 restrictions that prohibited in person hearings.
Stanley spoke only briefly during Wednesday’s hearing, telling the court he was willing to waive his rights and plead guilty to the charge.
Defense attorney James Wright said Stanley was undergoing a psycho-sexual evaluation to assess the risk of re-offending in the future. He asked the court to delay sentencing until the evaluation is completed and his client finishes spring semester classes.
Judge Brian Cannell agreed to postpone sentencing until May 24.
Stanley was allowed to remain out on bail. He is prohibited from consuming any illegal drugs or alcohol, and stay away from the victim’s residence and place of employment.
will@cvradio.com