Larsen sentenced to 6 years to life after abduction, sexual assault conviction

MANTI—For nearly a year, the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl became a story Sanpete County followed—from the first frantic search to a high-speed chase across Sevier County.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26 that story reached its final chapter in a Sanpete County courtroom as Aiden Dramore Larsen was sentenced to six years to life in prison for the girl’s rape. Sixth District Judge Robert Van Dyke imposed the sentence, ordering the prison term to run concurrently with two additional sentences and with prison terms imposed in separate cases in which Larsen was found to have violated probation.

Larsen, 20, was convicted of first-degree felony rape of a child, second-degree felony child kidnapping and second-degree felony theft of a firearm or operable motor vehicle. For the kidnapping conviction, Van Dyke sentenced Larsen to one to 15 years in prison and imposed a $10,000 fine. For the theft conviction, Larsen received another sentence of one to 15 years in prison, along with a second $10,000 fine.

The six-years-to-life sentence for rape of a child also carried a $10,000 fine and court security fee.

Van Dyke ordered all three sentences to be served concurrently, meaning Larsen will serve the sentences at the same time rather than consecutively. Van Dyke also ordered the sentences to run concurrently with prison terms imposed in Larsen’s other cases.

Restitution remains open in the case. Van Dyke allowed the alleged victim connected to the vehicle theft 60 days to submit a restitution claim, while leaving restitution related to the other charges open for one year because of potential ongoing treatment needs for the victim.

The sentencing stems from the Oct. 13, 2025 disappearance of the 12-year-old girl, which prompted an extensive search involving multiple law enforcement agencies and ended with a high-speed pursuit in Sevier County.

According to court records, investigators determined Larsen had been communicating secretly with the girl for weeks before her disappearance. Authorities said Larsen taught the girl to drive, allowing her to take her grandfather’s truck and travel to meet him.

Investigators determined Larsen took the truck, met the girl in Sanpete County and traveled to Payson before continuing south into Sevier County. Authorities located the stolen truck near Richfield and attempted to stop it, but Larsen fled. The pursuit continued through Elsinore and Monroe at speeds exceeding 100 mph before reaching Clear Creek Canyon. Troopers used spike strips to disable the vehicle near the Sevier RV Park.

Larsen abandoned the truck and ran from the scene before being found hiding beneath a structure near a river and taken into custody. The girl was recovered without physical injury.

During a hearing in July, the victim’s mother read a statement on behalf of her daughter, who described the lasting effects of the incident. The girl said Larsen “stole my life, my happiness, my trust, and my self-love” and said she was unsure whether she would ever be “fully OK again.”

Her mother told the court that the incident had permanently changed the family.

“Our family will be forever marked, forever changed,” she said.

She also asked Van Dyke to impose a sentence that would protect others from Larsen.

“I ask that the judge use his best discretion to keep this man away from the public, to keep any other individual safe from him,” she said.

Larsen was also found Wednesday to have violated probation in three previous cases.

In one case, Van Dyke revoked Larsen’s probation and imposed the original prison sentence for a third-degree felony. That sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the other prison terms. In another case, Van Dyke found Larsen in violation of probation and ordered him to serve the original sentence of 364 days for a Class A misdemeanor, also concurrent with the prison terms. In the third case, Van Dyke again revoked probation and imposed the original 364-day sentence for a Class A misdemeanor, to be served concurrently at the Utah State Prison.

Court records indicate Larsen was on probation for a previous vehicle theft conviction when the October 2025 offenses occurred.