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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A Logan couple was arrested and booked into jail after allegedly stalking and kidnapping their adult children — and arrest documents claim their children have experienced abuse for more than a decade.
Jimmy Dean Stewart, 49, and Jean Elizabeth Stewart, 48, were each arrested on two counts of aggravated kidnapping, all first-degree felonies; and two counts of stalking, which are third-degree felonies. Jean Stewart also faces one charge of violation of a protective order, which is a class A misdemeanor.
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All charges against the Stewart couple were given domestic violence enhancements, according to arrest documents.
Logan City Police responded to what the arresting officer called “a delayed abuse case” in May 2024. Jimmy and Jean Stewart were arrested on Sept. 9, 2024.
The couple’s two adult children — both around 30 years of age — spoke with officers in June 2024 about the alleged abuse they experienced as children, both physical and emotional, as well as recent instances of “being held hostage.”
One of the victims described a history of abuse dating back at least 2011, saying the suspects would tie them to a chair and tell them they had been possessed. The other victim said the abuse got worse after the family moved from Missouri to Logan, Utah.
One victim described being stabbed with forks and knives, being beaten, and being locked in a basement, arrest documents said.
The victim said the abuse happened “for about 10 years off and on,” but they also were locked in a basement as recently as May 2024. The victim also told officers they have never obtained a driver’s license and they do not have higher than a seventh-grade education level.
The parents also allegedly took one victim’s phone and medications away as a form of punishment while locking them in the house for several days, documents said.
The arrest documents also alleged the parents of the victims would repeatedly drive past a victim’s new residence after the victim moved away, with videos of the occurrences dating back to April 2023.
One of the victims was granted a protective order against one of the parents in July 2024, and one of the conditions of the order was no further contact. That condition was allegedly violated, leading to another charge for one of the parents.
Sorina Trauntvein contributed to reporting.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.