Judge Clark McClellan has granted the trial of the three men charged with raping a 9-year-old Uintah County girl to be moved outside the Uintah Basin. In the ruling, Judge McClellan cited the public outcry and widespread knowledge of the case by locals. The rape of a 9-year-old girl by multiple men was reported to deputies on March 29th, 2016. The child was sleeping on the couch of a Uintah County residence on March 27th while her mother was visiting friends. According to investigators, the victim’s mother went into the garage of the home and was smoking methamphetamine. During that time, the child was taken into another room in the home where she told investigators she was raped by the four men. Following a search warrant at the resident, 36-year-old Larson Rondeau was arrested on March 29th. 20-year-old Josiah RonDeau, 29-year-old Jerry Flatlip, and 26-year-old Randall Flatlip were arrested on March 31st and April 1st. All four men were booked into Uintah County Jail on first degree felony rape of a child and first degree sodomy on a child. In July, both charges against 20-year-old Josiah Rondeau were Dismissed without Prejudice, meaning charges can be made again in the future. Larson Rondeau, Jerry Flatlip, and Randall A. Flatlip each pleaded Not Guilty on both charges. The three men were ordered in July to stand trial on the rape charges and the months since have been spent filing motions and arguments by the defense attorneys for changing the venue of the trials. The fact that the young victim has the deep sympathy of the community makes a local trial unfair, according to defense attorney Loni DeLand as reported in Deseret News. “Little elaboration is needed to understand that a 9-year-old female victim, allegedly the victim of rape and sodomization by four adult men, holds benevolent standing in the community,” stated DeLand. “The accused, however, holds a much different standing in the community…[as] a 26-year-old, drug using male of Native American descent.” While dates for the trials are still being scheduled, it has been agreed that the trials will take place in Summit County.
