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HEBER CITY — A clinical social worker who promotes himself as having expertise in dealing with children who have autism has been charged with sexually abusing two young girls.
Brian Gomez, 39, was charged Monday in Wasatch County with six counts of sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony.
On New Year's Eve, Gomez rented a condominium in Midway. Three girls, between the ages of 9 and 12, were at Gomez's condo with their parents, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in 4th District Court. The parents were friends with Gomez.
The girls were allowed to stay in Gomez's condo while their parents went back to their own condo, according to court records. The father received a text message from one of his daughters about 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, stating: "I think Bryan is a pedifile and I'm kind scared ... will you talk to me?!" The father didn't see the text, however, until 8:45 a.m.
The next day, two of the girls told the other adults that Gomez had touched them under their pajamas, the warrant states.
During an initial court appearance on Monday, bail was set at $30,000. Should he bail out, Gomez will be required to wear an ankle monitor, have no contact with the alleged victims or anyone under the age of 18 including his own family, stay in Utah, "cease practice as a licensed clinical social worker in Ogden" and "surrender his license to the state of Utah," according to court documents.
