Utah agency revokes teen treatment facility license after alleged sexual relationship between employee and minor client
Mar 6, 2026, 6:00 AM
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has revoked the license of a southern Utah youth treatment facility. A notice sent to the facility on Feb. 18 states a staff member was criminally charged for having a sexual relationship with a minor client. (KSL)
(KSL)
ST. GEORGE — State regulators have revoked the license of a southern Utah youth treatment facility. A notice sent to the facility on Feb. 18 states a staff member was criminally charged for having a sexual relationship with a minor client.
The action involves one location operated by Crimson Heights, a treatment provider that runs multiple programs in Utah and other western states. The congregate care facility is identified as STG Pad 3, located at 1401 N. 2200 W. in St. George.
According to the Notice of Agency Action issued by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, “a staff member had a sexual relationship with a minor client and was charged with felony kidnapping, felony custodial sexual relations and misdemeanor unlawful sexual activity with a minor.”
State regulators also concluded that administrators were alerted to concerns about professional boundary violations months earlier but failed to take sufficient steps to protect clients between October and December of 2025.
Additionally, the revocation notice reports that the facility did not restrict the staff member’s access to vulnerable clients or implement safeguards to ensure client safety, according to the notice.
The state ordered the provider to terminate services and stop accepting new enrollments by Feb. 25.
Additional violations cited
The state cited several additional violations connected to the investigation.
According to the revocation notice, two facility staff members impersonated a client’s legal guardian and provided false information to law enforcement during an investigation into whether a minor was a runaway.
State investigators also stated documentation related to client supervision was falsified and that required overnight staffing levels were not maintained between approximately 11:20 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 1:15 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2025.
State regulators said those violations contributed to the decision to revoke the facility’s license.
Facility response
In a written response to the KSL Investigators, Crimson Heights said the employee referenced in the notice who was accused of having a sexual relationship with a minor client had been terminated before the arrest and criminal charges were filed.
Crimson Heights said the alleged conduct occurred outside of the staff member’s employment and that the organization cooperated with state regulators and law enforcement during the investigation.
The organization also said employees accused of providing false information to law enforcement are no longer employed by the company.
Crimson Heights said it has requested an administrative hearing of the license revocation decision and will address any factual disputes through the state’s administrative review process.
“We are seeking clarification with certain conclusions and with the proportionality of the sanction,” the company wrote.
Crimson Heights also said the congregate care site referenced in the revocation is no longer operating.
“The specific community congregate care site referenced in the revocation has been discontinued and is no longer serving individuals,” the organization said.
The company added that it understands the public expects accountability and transparency in matters involving vulnerable youth, and they “are committed to cooperating with authorities, protecting client privacy, and addressing these issues through the proper legal and regulatory channels.”
Prior state action at another Crimson Heights location
Another Crimson Heights location in St. George has faced state sanctions in recent months after regulators determined that a client was seriously injured during a restraint.
In an Oct. 30 Notice of Agency Action sent to a Crimson Heights facility located at 747 S. Mincio Lane #17, the Department of Health and Human Services placed conditions on that facility’s license after investigators determined a staff member restrained a developmentally delayed client on landscaping rocks.
Those restrictions prohibited the location from admitting new patients, and required additional staff training on de-escalation and restraint protocols.
The client suffered multiple lacerations and a fractured elbow that required surgery, according to the state report.
The state determined the restraint violated rules requiring clients to be free from abuse and appropriate behavior management techniques.
The restrictions were later extended in January 2026 after regulators determined the facility had failed to meet several required corrective conditions from the earlier order.
Related: Man accused of abusing teen girl on University of Utah campus
