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- A 49-year-old registered sex offender was arrested in Salt Lake City and accused of inappropriately touching two teenagers who were shopping.
- This recent arrest follows a history of legal issues for the man, who was previously convicted of lewdness involving a child and robbery.
SALT LAKE CITY — A registered sex offender has been arrested and accused of inappropriately touching two teenage shoppers downtown.
James Leo Archibald, 49, "committed a violent sexual offense against two strangers unprovoked," according to a police booking affidavit. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Thursday for investigation of two counts of forcible sexual abuse.
An 18-year-old woman and 16-year-old girl were in a store at City Creek Center on Thursday when Archibald entered "and commented on their skinny bodies." Archibald then "lifted his own shirt and showed his torso" to the girls before he "then reached out with his hand" and groped the 18-year-old, the affidavit alleges.
Police say the woman "froze in fear and cried." Her friend tried to intervene and Archibald inappropriately touched her too, according to the arrest report. "James then left the store, knocking over merchandise on his way out."
Store employees took the girls into a back room until police arrived. Officers later located Archibald and took him into custody.
Archibald is required to comply with the rules of the Utah Sex Offender and Kidnap Registry for his 2021 conviction of lewdness involving a child. In that case, Archibald exposed himself at a West Valley bus stop, according to charging documents.
Just four months after pleading guilty in that case, Archibald was arrested for attacking a man at Salt Lake's FrontRunner Station and taking his headphones, and also threatening to kill people, charging documents state. He was convicted of robbery.
After violating the terms of his probation, he was ordered to serve a year in jail in September of 2023, court records state. He was released from jail in July after serving about 10 months. He was arrested again on Sept. 12 and accused of failing to properly register as a sex offender.
