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University of Utah Director Held for Raping Wife at Campus

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The University of Utah director was arrested for allegedly raping his wife. He has been charged with several counts under the law against sexual abuse.

Lonnie Norton, the director of College of Computing at the Department of Humanities, has been lodged at the Salt Lake County jail. The woman has not been identified in order to protect the interests of victims of sexual abuse. 

Last week, the 49-year-old rape suspect's wife moved the court for divorce, and before that, she had sought for the protective order against the man, reportedly citing marital sexual assault.

Norton is charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, forcible sexual abuse, aggravated sexual assault, object rape, aggravated burglary, violating a protective order and disrupting a communication device, said Sandy Police Sgt. Jon Arnold, as reported by Deseret News.

According to reports, Norton barged into his estranged wife's residence Sunday around 2 a.m. The victim, who woke up to the loud sound, abortively tried to call the police. However, by then, the accused had delivered a blow with his fist to her face and duct-taped her at gunpoint.

It was little too late before police traced the victim's house based on the 911 hang-up.

Later, Norton allegedly drove his wife to an undisclosed building at the University of Utah campus, where he allegedly raped her.

After the alleged rape, Norton drove her to his place where they had inhabited together, before agreeing to take her to her home, giving in to her perseverance. The victim reportedly took pictures of his car before she dialled 911 and reported about the incident.

According to Deseret News, the University of Utah has distanced itself from the matter and refused to make any comment.  "The school has no tolerance for use of its facilities in violation of university policy or the law. University employees who commit violent acts on university property are not eligible to remain employed at the university and will be excluded from campus. The university does not comment on individual personnel actions or ongoing investigations," it said in a statement released Monday.

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