A St. Paul man who admitted to taking "indecent liberties" with a teen at a Murray religious conference will not go to prison and instead has been ordered to serve four years of probation. Third District Judge Theresa Welch on June 25 suspended a one-to-15-year prison sentence for the 62-year-old, identified in court papers as Bu Taw, and allowed him to complete his probation in Minnesota. He had previously pleaded guilty and appeared at his sentencing hearing online.
Plea, sentencing and where he'll serve probation
According to reporting by KSL, Taw entered his guilty plea on April 16 as part of a deal that wrapped up multiple felony counts and called for his release at sentencing. Judge Welch accepted the joint recommendation from prosecutors and defense attorneys, suspended the prison term and ordered four years of supervised probation to be served out of state. Both sides asked that he be allowed to return to Minnesota for that supervision.
What the charging documents allege
Charging documents reviewed by KSL say Taw sexually abused two teenage girls after a church event at 460 W. Century Drive in Murray and "used a religious setting to prey upon the victims." Prosecutors allege he lured one girl to his vehicle under the pretense of retrieving medicine, sexually assaulted her, then gave her $100 and told her not to tell anyone. Surveillance footage also allegedly showed him touching another girl's buttocks during a group photo.
Plea deal and charges dismissed
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped six additional charges that had been filed against Taw. Those dismissed counts included aggravated kidnapping, human trafficking of a child, multiple counts of forcible sexual abuse and a charge of witness tampering. With his guilty plea and the court's acceptance of the recommended sentence, the agreement resolved the Utah criminal case.
Legal implications
Because the prison term is suspended, Taw will avoid incarceration as long as he follows the rules of his probation. Any violation could send him to prison for the one-to-15-year term previously imposed. The plea deal formally disposes of the case in Utah, but investigative records and court filings remain part of the public court file. As noted in KSL's coverage, state prosecutors and defense counsel jointly backed the plan for supervision in another state when the case was finalized.
What to watch next
Authorities in Minnesota are expected to oversee Taw's probation if that state agrees to accept and enforce Utah's terms. Any alleged probation violations would be sent back to the Utah courts for action. For background on the original arrest and charges, KSL's earlier coverage of the July 2025 investigation details how Murray police opened the case following complaints tied to the church event.
