Gary W. Fotheringham, a 32-year-old man who was accused of sexually assaulting several women in and around the University of Utah campus in 2011 has been sentenced to five years in prison for three felony counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse.
On Friday, Fotheringham admitted to the crimes at the 3rd District Court. He also said that he has severe alcohol problems.
"I would like to apologize for the stress and fear I caused the victims," Fotheringham said. "It's not their fault; it's my fault. ... I'm truly sorry."
"There are a lot of alcoholics in the world who don't go out and commit sex offenses," said Judge Katie Bernards-Goodman. "I worry about society and how it would be if I let you go."
According to the Daily Herald, witnesses alleged that Fotheringham watched women dress inside a locker room at the Marriott School of Dance in November 2011. He was also accused of placing his hand on one student's breast and groping another student as she tried to get inside her car.
In June, he pleaded guilty to the three charges.
According to KUTV.com, in exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors reduced charges to third-degree felonies and dropped two misdemeanor charges for voyeurism.
During the preliminary hearings, prosecutors claimed that Fotheringham posed a threat to women, referring to his criminal behavior, which increased over time.
Fotheringham's crimes doesn't limit to the 2011 events alone. In 2010, University police arrested Fotheringham for attempting to record a woman in a restroom stall using his cell phone camera. Prosecutors said that the following year, Fotheringham once again returned to the university, where he 'terrorized women.'
