A Grantsville man is facing felony sex abuse charges after allegedly touching an underage victim in several incidents.
Brad Jay Bartunek, 39, is charged with first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse and made his initial appearance in Third District Court on Monday morning.
The victim in the case said the first time Bartunek did the abuse was when the victim less than 10 years old, according to a probable cause statement from the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. Bartunek continued to abuse the victim over the span of several years, most recently this April when he grabbed the victim’s buttocks, the statement said.
The victim also claimed that Bartunek would provide alcohol and marijuana and drink and smoke with the victim, according to the statement.
Bartunek turned himself in at the Tooele County Detention Center on Aug. 12 after the victim had been interviewed, police said. When questioned by police, Bartunek admitted to the first time he touched the victim but said he had been drinking and smoking marijuana heavily beforehand.
Bartunek also said he routinely smoked marijuana with the victim after the victim became a teenager but denied providing any alcohol to the minor, according to the statement. He also admitted to the touching that occurred in April.
At his Aug. 17 court appearance, Bartunek was appointed an attorney and a roll call hearing was scheduled for Sept. 1 at 9 a.m. He is being held in the Tooele County Detention Center on $100,000 cash bond or surety.
