Utah man charged with sexually assaulting woman he met on Mutual dating app

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (KSL.com) — A Sandy man was charged Thursday with sexually assaulting a woman whom he met on a dating app multiple times.

Samuel Whitney Faber, 42, is charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies; two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.

A woman says she met Faber on the Mutual dating app in March. She agreed to meet him at a restaurant.

“As the evening went on, (the woman) stated that Faber was asking her weird questions, like if she had a conceal carry weapon permit,” according to charging documents.

She said Faber then took a gun out of his pocket to show her he had one. He also asked the woman if her family knew where she was. When she replied that her family could follow her because of an app on her phone, Faber commented “‘If I threw you in a ditch, I would have to take your phone.’ (The woman) stated that Faber said this in a joking manner,” the charges state.

The woman agreed to go back to Faber’s house with him, but told him several times that “she was not going to do anything.” While at the home, Faber again pulled out his gun to show the woman, and then loaded a round before putting the gun back in his pocket, according to the charges.

Faber inappropriately touched the woman both inside and outside of his house, the charges state, until she asked him to take her back to her car. But when they got close to the restaurant where they originally met up, she said Faber continued driving and stopped by a building in a secluded industrial area.

“Faber asked (the woman) if she was sure that they didn’t want to do anything and she said no that she doesn’t do anything like that on the first date.” Faber told the woman “that she can either do it or he can make her do it” and then sexually assaulted her while again mentioning his gun, the charges state.

“The victim disclosed that she was scared because she knew the defendant had the gun. The victim disclosed that she continually told the defendant no throughout the night, but he would not take no for an answer,” the charges state.

When he was done, Faber drove the woman back to her car, “thanked (her) for a great night, told her to call him tomorrow, and also to let him know she got home safe,” according to the charges. The woman instead drove to a hospital for a sexual assault examination.

When questioned by police, Faber told detectives that he “likes to push the limit” when making out, the charges state.

The Mutual app is designed as a dating platform for single men and women who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some worry, however, that dating apps aimed at religious groups provide a false sense of security to victims.