Richard Opoku, 29, is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail after Salt Lake City police investigated reports from two women who said they were sexually assaulted after dates arranged through a dating application. ABC4 Utah reported that Opoku was arrested on one count of rape, one count of object rape and two counts of forcible sodomy, all identified in the report as first-degree felonies under Utah law. The charges are allegations, and Opoku is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to ABC4 Utah, both women told police they met a man using the name “King” on a dating application and later went to Opoku’s residence. Investigators identified King as Opoku, who reportedly acknowledged using that name on dating platforms and in person and said he had gone on dates with both women. The women described sexual contact that allegedly continued after one woman asked Opoku to stop and said they were frightened during the encounters, ABC4 reported. Opoku denied penetrating the first woman and said he did not know how injuries reported after the encounter may have occurred.
What the Utah data can—and cannot—show
The broader reporting picture is incomplete. The Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice said in a 2024 report that 86 of 117 agencies responded to its sexual-assault data request and reported 6,596 victims of some form of sexual assault. The commission’s figures reflect responses from participating agencies, not the total prevalence of sexual violence. Similarly, the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Identification says its crime dashboard represents offenses made known to local law-enforcement agencies and should not be treated as a measure of all sexual violence.
A separate case illustrates why dating-app cases should be compared cautiously rather than treated as evidence of a trend. KSL.com reported that two women accused Sandy resident Samuel Faber of sexual abuse after meetings arranged through dating apps in March and June 2022. Faber faced different charges, including forcible sexual abuse and aggravated sexual assault, so the case provides a local example of similar reporting circumstances—not proof that comparable incidents are becoming more frequent or that the allegations against Opoku are connected.
Potential penalties and support resources
The Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat, LLP overview of Utah sex-offense penalties says rape, object rape and forcible sodomy are first-degree felonies carrying alternative minimum sentences of six years to life, 10 years to life or 15 years to life upon conviction. That sentencing information is general legal background and does not determine what penalty, if any, would apply in Opoku’s case. The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault provides survivor information booklets designed to answer questions and offer informational resources.
