An Alpine man charged with felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child and object rape was found dead in American Fork Canyon on July 6, according to Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

On Nov. 25, the Utah County Attorney’s Office charged 53-year-old Kristopher Avard Kinkade of Alpine with three first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one first-degree felony charge of object rape. Additionally, Kinkade faced three charges for second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.

According to the probable statement filed in support of his arrest on Nov. 21, officials with the Utah Department of Child and Family Services received a priority case where a 16-year-old girl reported being sexually abused by Kinkade.

The girl told detectives in an interview at Lone Peak High School that Kinkade had allegedly been inappropriately touching her over 4 years, beginning when she was in seventh grade. The alleged abuse began in a Cedar Hills residence in 2015 and continued for 3 years in Alpine.

Instances of sexual abuse were also reported to have happened in Arizona and across Utah, although most incidents occurred in Utah County, according to arrest documents. The most recent occurrence was reported to have been two weeks prior to Kinkade’s arrest.

While speaking with detectives, the girl told them she didn’t know how to tell Kinkade to stop.

If convicted, Kinkade could have faced a mandatory prison sentence of 15 years to life sentence for each aggravated sexual abuse charge.

Kinkade had been arrested in 2009 for sex-related crimes in Lehi, including patronizing a prostitute. Five years later, in 2016, the 16-year-old girl’s older sister had reported similar allegations regarding the girl and Kinkade.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the mother of the two girls was “aggressively uncooperative” and refused to allow the older girl to speak with police and demanded that the case by closed. With no victim, evidence or witnesses, the case against him was closed in 2017.

Kinkade had also previously been convicted of four second-degree felony communications fraud charges where court documents state he knowingly created a ponzi scheme with the intention to steal upwards of $300,000 from five different people from 2007 to 2009.

Kinkade was released on bail in December, and he was expected to appear in court on Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. for a preliminary hearing in Provo.

Before he could appear in court, however, Utah County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a dead body in American Fork Canyon on July 6. That body has been identified as Kinkade.

Family of the two girls told the Daily Herald Kinkade died by apparent suicide after traveling to American Fork Canyon.

Cannon said the Utah County Sheriff’s Office cannot make an official statement on the cause of death. The Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting a final autopsy that will not be ready for up to eight weeks, he said, and that report will include the cause of death.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office is not currently looking for suspects in the death, Cannon said.