A homeless 18-year-old man from Utah, Ryker Xethanial Buxton, is facing a multitude of charges after he was allegedly discovered hiding in a 12-year-old girl’s bedroom for 10 days.
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As reported by Fox 13, citing court documents, the case began on September 8. Police officers responded to a Bluffdale home after receiving a report of trespassing.
Upon arrival, the family residing at the residence told officers that their 12-year-old daughter had allegedly allowed 18-year-old Buxton into their home. Investigators determined that Buxton had been hiding in the minor’s bedroom for 10 days.
While Buxton was removed from the house, this wouldn’t mark the end of this disturbing case.
On September 15, the girl’s parents contacted the local police once again. They reported that the 12-year-old had run away from home. They believed at the time that she had escaped to be with Buxton.
Arrested And Charged
Their suspicions were proven true. One day later, on September 16, Buxton and the 12-year-old were found in Provo, 26 miles away from Bluffdale. In an interview, the girl allegedly admitted to being with Buxton while she went missing.
Buxton allegedly admitted during an interview to engaging in sexual acts with the child while hiding in her bedroom. Furthermore, police accuse him of planning to leave the state with the child. He even expressed his desire to keep contacting her if he was released, as reported by KSL-TV.
KUTV reported that Ryker Xethanial Buxton was arrested on suspicion of child rape, three counts of sodomy, two counts of child object rape, burglary, unlawful child kissing, and criminal trespassing.
The 18-year-old man is currently being held at Salta Lake County Metro Jail without bond.
Days before the 12-year-old’s family first contacted the police, a 60-year-old man, William Piol Makuei, was convicted of first-degree felony child rape in Salt Lake City.
As reported by ABC4, Makuei was convicted on September 3, 2025, after he raped and impregnated a 13-year-old girl. The child was reportedly given something to drink by Makuei back in 2015. She then found herself waking up with her clothes off and genital bleeding. She gave birth to the child in August 2016, and Makuei was arrested in 2017.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.