Bree Burkitt

The Spectrum

A former Diamond Ranch Academy student has filed a lawsuit against the therapeutic boarding school alleging a therapist sexually groomed and assaulted her.

According to the 23-page lawsuit filed July 25 in the 5th District Court, Hannah Wilkin, who has chosen to identify herself in court documents, and her parents are suing Diamond Ranch Academy and former mental health therapist Troy Ammon Carter. The Arkansas resident is no longer attending the residential treatment center.

The lawsuit alleges the incidents occurred multiple times in April and May of 2016. The treatment facility caters to “troubled teens,” according to its website.

According to court documents, the newly-licensed therapist intern assigned to provide counseling services to the 16-year-old victim used his “position of power and authority” to prey on Wilkin. Carter allegedly told the minor details about his sex life, questioned her about her own sexual history and made inappropriate comments about her physical appearance.

Additionally, the complaint also states he straddled Wilkin and unhooked her bra while providing a back massage in his office without a chiropractic license.

More:Cedar City man charged with fondling three children pleads guilty

During a police interview, Wilkin told investigators Carter would attempt to disparage her parents in attempt to gain her trust and detail inappropriate dreams he had about the minor.

The windows of his counseling office were covered with brown butcher paper, Wilkin's attorney, Craig Vernon, said.

“He used the paper to cover up the windows to literally cover up the sexual assaults while they were happening,” Vernon told The Spectrum & Daily News. “It’s very curious to me that would go unnoticed.”

Carter was terminated in May 2016 for inappropriate physical contact with another student. Wilkin came forward shortly after.

Prior to the alleged incidents, DRA required Carter to sign a document pledging he would stop all physical contact with his patients, the complaint details. He had previously been reprimanded for inappropriate contact with multiple male students.

The lawsuit claims the treatment center provided the "perfect environment" for victims to be groomed and sexually abused due to inadequate supervision and internal policies. It also alleges her complaints about Carter were not properly forwarded to law enforcement.

More:Report: 'quiet' recreation brought $17.4 million to Cedar City area

“DRA had already reprimanded Carter for inappropriately touching students, but did nothing to protect these vulnerable girls, who were isolated and far away from their families,” Vernon said.

Diamond Ranch Academy did not respond to The Spectrum & Daily News' request for comment.

Vernon said two other victims have since come forward with similar allegations against Carter.

Following an investigation by the Hurricane Police Department, the Washington County Attorney’s Office ultimately declined to file any charges due to a lack of sufficient evidence. It is not known whether the three other alleged victims intend to file a criminal complaint at this time.

Wilkin opted to identify herself in the suit to show other victims they are not alone.

“I just don’t want what happened to me to happen to other kids,” she said. “We enroll at DRA to get help with the problems life throws at us, not to get molested by the counselor DRA assigns to us.”

Ultimately, Vernon said the Wilkin family is seeking the $6,000-$12,000 per month tuition in addition to compensation for the victim.

More:Stewart’s ‘Northern Corridor’ bill clears hurdle

“Money is symbolic of both Carter and the DRA accepting responsibility for what happened,” he explained.

Follow reporter Bree Burkitt,@BreeBurkitt. Call her at 435-218-2241.