With little debate, the Utah Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a bill that would add college professors to the list of trusted adults who, under Utah law, face steeper criminal penalties if they are convicted of having sexual contact with children 17 years old or younger.
Teachers and coaches at K-12 schools are already included in the statute. But the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, has argued there’s a gap that doesn’t cover higher education — particularly as more students graduate from high school early and head to universities sooner.
In Utah, about 20,000 students are under 18 when they start their freshman year of college.