Joshua Lippold booking photo from the Cache County Jail
LOGAN — A 40-year-old Smithfield man has admitted to molesting several girls last year. Joshua Coti Lippold accepted a plea deal and will now wait to be sentenced.
Lippold appeared Monday in Logan’s 1st District Court for a final pretrial conference. He pleaded guilty to rape of a child and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, both first-degree felonies.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss 18 remaining charges.
In September 2022, Smithfield City Police officers received a child abuse report from the Division of Child and Family Services. The report detailed how a 12-year-old girl had disclosed to her mother that she had been molested by Lippold, a family relative.
A forensic interview was later conducted at a Children’s Justice Center. During the interview, the victim described how Lippold had been molesting her over the last four years at his Smithfield home.
The girl told law enforcement how Lippold started touching her inappropriately after making her sign her name in an “old fashioned book that was mahogany in color.” The defendant told the girl he then possessed her soul and told her not to tell anyone.
Police officers later obtained a search warrant for Lippold’s home. Inside they found a large marijuana grow, which resulted in members of the Cache Rich Drug Task Force being called to assist. Police also found a dark red colored book, titled Da Vinci’s Demons that the victim said she had signed.
While executing the search warrant, law enforcement interviewed several other children. A 12-year-old girl disclosed that she also had been sexually assaulted numerous times over the last two years. Lippold had told the child that he’d lose his job if she told anyone.
Another child talked about the book Lippold had. He believed that people who signed it gave the suspect their souls.
In March 2023, Lippold was determined competent to stand trial after being evaluated by medical professionals.
During Monday’s hearing, defense attorney Cameron Cox asked the court to postpone sentencing to allow time for Lippold to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation. The report is expected to be completed in two to three months.
Lippold was scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 26. He remains in the Cache County Jail and could face up to life in prison.