Convicted rapist arrested on suspicion of aggravated rape in Taylorsville

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A convicted Utah rapist is back in custody, the suspect in an aggravated rape in Taylorsville, just 49 days after being released from the Utah State Prison where he served 24 years for rape and burglary.  

Salt Lake police arrested Christopher Browning, 43, at 8 p.m. Tuesday and plan to turn him over to Taylorsville police for questioning.  

Halfway-House Walkaway 

Browning was released from prison Dec. 6, 2022. The Utah Department of Corrections Tuesday confirmed to KSL TV that Browning “walked away” from the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center, a halfway house for recently released parolees, on Jan. 18. A warrant was immediately issued for his arrest.  

Police in Taylorsville say that same day, Browning entered the home of a female acquaintance and attacked her. According to law enforcement, Browning and the woman knew each other but are not involved in a romantic relationship.  

Dangerous & Possibly Armed 

“The public is urged to use caution if coming into contact with him,” Taylorsville Police Department said in a press release. “Browning is believed to be dangerous and possibly armed,” the release also stated.  

Browning has had at least three altercations inside the Utah State Prison in recent years. According to information disclosed during a Sept. 2022 parole hearing, disciplinary action was taken against Browning in 2019 for an assault. In 2021, Browning was involved in an assault on a police officer. And again, in May 2022, Browning was disciplined for assault.  

He told the Board of Pardons and Parole at that Sept. 2022 hearing, “I do still have an anger problem that I need to address.”  

In Prison for a Long Time 

Convicted in 1998, Browning was just 18 years old when he was sentenced to five years to life in prison for first-degree felony rape.  

In 2018, the Board of Pardons and Parole reviewed his case, ordering an institutional progress report and an updated public safety risk assessment report before another hearing to be held in 2021. At that time, the Board also noted it “expects Mr. Browning to also participate in risk reduction programming to address other identified criminogenic needs prior to Rehearing.”  

Browning was also ordered to complete a sex offender treatment program while in prison. BOP records indicate he completed that program in March 2022.  

“It put me on a whole different path” 

At his September parole hearing, Browning was asked what he learned during sex offender treatment.  

“I got to learn a lot about myself,” he told the Board. “I was quite disgusted with myself. I learned a lot in that therapy and that was my favorite part of therapy was the behavior change. It let me know, like, where I’m going wrong, or whether a situation should be engaged or not. It put me on a whole different path and it helped me change a lot of my behaviors.” 

When asked if he was willing to continue sex offender treatment while on parole, Browning replied, “Oh, yes.”