Note: This story contains descriptions of homophobic sexual violence.
A Utah man has been charged with a slew of offences after allegedly raping his wife’s lesbian friend in a homophobic attack.
The two women spent time together at Adam Atwood’s home on Sunday night before Atwood’s wife retired to bed, KUTV has reported.
Atwood, 34, then allegedly began moving closer to the victim until she said she was leaving and attempted to go to her car.
He convinced her to stay and walk to a convenience store with him to buy beer.
When they returned to the house, Atwood is accused of inappropriately touching her, refusing when she told him to stop.
According to court documentation, “He then asked her if she was sure she didn’t like it and if she was sure she was gay”.
When the woman again tried to leave, Atwood allegedly grabbed her by the neck and forced her into the basement, choking her from behind.
She said that in an attempt to make him stop, she reminded him that she was a lesbian and that his wife and children were upstairs.
Atwood is alleged to have said he would “fix the gay” before raping her and throwing her against a wall.
The woman escaped by grabbing and twisting Atwood’s genitals before fleeing.
Atwood allegedly followed her to her car and yelled, “You better not tell anyone.”
The woman drove home and told her roommate about the incident before contacting police.
While being arrested, Atwood claimed he had not raped anyone.
He has been charged with object rape, forcible sodomy, kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, and forcible sexual assault.
Homophobic or ‘corrective’ rape is a hate crime that has been reported worldwide.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 13% of lesbians and 46% of bisexual women in the US have been raped.
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