ST. GEORGE — A New Mexico man accused of sexually abusing a child during a family gathering in Utah in 2020 was returned to Utah by two St. George Police detectives and was booked into jail in Washington County.
Wesli James Pearce, 31, of Artesia, New Mexico, was extradited to Utah Friday on a first-degree felony warrant involving three counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child. The warrants were filed in October 2020.
St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell told St. George News that two detectives flew to New Mexico, and once they took custody of Pearce, they drove him back to Washington County and he was booked into jail.
The charges stem from an investigation that began four months earlier, when officers responded to a report of a sex offense involving a 9-year-old child on June 11, 2020. The child was being cared for by a family member, according to the affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant.
The family had traveled to Utah to visit relatives, and on June 11, the child was left in the care of a relative at an apartment complex on Village Road in St. George. Pearce, who was 28 at the time, was visiting from his home in New Mexico and was visiting relatives at the residence.
When the parents returned, they learned that Pearce allegedly entered one of the rooms and sexually abused the child, according to police.
During a forensic interview, the child described being in a room watching TV when the suspect entered and began to molest them.
The youngster also described making several attempts to escape the suspect, saying they hid under a blanket and then got into a crib where an infant was sleeping. Pearce reportedly went over to the crib and continued to abuse the child, the affidavit states.
Once the suspect left, the youngster disclosed what had happened to their parents, who called police to report the incident.
During a series of interviews, investigators learned Pearce had attended the family gathering, and according to police, the witnesses also reported seeing the suspect watching television with the children.
The case was filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office on Oct. 7, 2020, and Pearce was formally charged with three first-degree felony counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child, with an enhancement based on the defendant’s position of trust.
From there, the state issued a warrant for the defendant’s arrest, since the suspect lived out of state, and detectives also contacted authorities in New Mexico and other agencies that were unable to locate the suspect.
Following the arrest, Pearce is scheduled to make an initial appearance in 5th District Court on Friday. Bail has been set at $25,000.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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