Advocacy worker arrested for allegedly raping a vulnerable adult
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IDAHO FALLS – A 19-year-old man has been charged after he reportedly sexually assaulted a vulnerable adult living in an Idaho Falls assisted living residence.
Tayden Matthew Towers has been charged with felony sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult for actions that allegedly occurred while he worked as an advocacy worker at Habilitation Advocacy Supports Inc.
Idaho Falls Police were assigned to a case in April 2022, after a woman reported she had been raped by Towers in March 2022.
According to police reports, the victim, who was 18 at the time of the alleged assault, mentally functions at about the same level as a 7-year-old.
As part of the investigation, a sexual assault kit was used, and the test was sent to the Idaho State Police Forensic Services. Detectives were also able to request a warrant, allowing them to take a DNA sample from Towers.
When detectives first contacted Towers, he reportedly denied having sex with the victim and asked the officer if he was familiar with his line of work as an advocacy worker. The detective responded that yes, he was familiar.
Towers responded by explaining to him that “it’s behavioral intervention for .. mentally challenged and emotionally challenged adults and children,” according to court documents.
A relative of Towers also spoke to the detective and said nothing had happened. Towers had told the relative that he was only briefly alone with the victim inside a kitchen.
In November 2022, police received the DNA test results, showing Tower’s DNA matched the DNA found during the sexual assault test.
In December 2022, Towers was called in to speak with the police, who told him that the DNA test was a match. Towers’ relative asked him again if he had intercourse with the victim, to which he allegedly said, “Yes, I did.”
A warrant was sent out for his arrest on Wednesday and Towers was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. His bond was set to $25,000, and a no-contact order was issued for the victim.
Towers is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 3.
If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.