LOGAN — A 19-year-old Logan man has confessed to sexually harassing a woman for several years. The incidents occurred at a Logan restaurant where the two were employed.
According to court records, Sawal Sawal appeared July 21 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of forcible sexual abuse, amended to a third-degree felony; assault, a class A misdemeanor; and lewdness, a class B misdemeanor. As part of the agreement, 12 remaining charges were dismissed.
Law enforcement began investigating Sawal in August 2024, when the victim reported years of being sexually assaulted and verbally berated. Most of the incidents occurred in the kitchen area of the restaurant outside the view of customers.
The woman told police how Sawal would often touch her buttocks or squeeze her breasts while she would be cleaning or doing dishes. At other times, he made unwanted sexual advances, attempting to kiss her, or talk and joke about her body.
The victim said she was afraid to report the abuse because even though she is in the country legally on a work visa, she feared that if she did not work at the restaurant, then she would be deported. The incidents occurred over two years until she was able to find a new job.
The woman provided police officers with several videos of some of the incidents. She also claimed to have reported the abuse to her boss, who never intervened to stop the behavior.
During last week’s court appearance, Sawal was ordered to remain in jail and complete a presentence report about his criminal history. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 5, and could face more than one year in prison.
Originally, law enforcement investigated two other suspects in this case. Santosh Tiwary, 41, and Kumar Akshat, 29, were charged with similar crimes.
Prosecutors later dismissed the case against Akshat after he was arrested in Beaverton, Oregon, and transferred back to Cache Valley.
Law enforcement believe Tiwary left the area to visit his home country for an extended stay. A judge has issued a warrant for his arrest.