Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Nadim Musleh, 42, faces 18 charges including aggravated child abuse and assault.
- His wife reported abuse beginning in Saudi Arabia and continuing in the U.S.
- Musleh allegedly abused his family since at least 2023.
SANDY — A man accused of abusing his family over multiple years now faces 18 criminal charges.
Nadim Musleh, 42, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, witness tampering, and three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child by strangulation, third-degree felonies; four counts of child abuse, a class A misdemeanor; and three counts of assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child, class B misdemeanors.
The investigation began earlier this year when Musleh's wife called police to report that he "began abusing her when they lived in Saudi Arabia," and that the abuse resumed after they moved to the United States, according to charging documents.
The woman recounted incidents of Musleh "throwing her around," threatening her and the children with a knife, and threatening to take the children away from her, the charges state.
On one occasion, "she and Musleh were in an argument over a medical bill, and during the argument he pushed her against the wall, wrapped his arm around the back of her neck, and applied pressure, causing her to be unable to breathe," according to the charges. She also "recounted an incident when their children were at school, and Musleh tried to gouge her eyes. She said he tried to close her eyes, and Musleh put both of his thumbs into her eyes to open them and told her that he was 'going to poke her eyes if she keeps shutting them,'" the charges state.
Musleh is accused on another occasion of pushing a teenage son down the stairs and then dragging him "down the stairs by his hair because he didn't want to go to karate," according to the charges. The teen told police that his father "hits him, his mom, and sometimes his siblings, and said, 'It has been happening for a long time.'"
The other children allegedly reported similar incidents to police, including a daughter who said she witnessed Musleh abusing her mother and "'blood came out of her mom' and ... also reported that Musleh punches (her) 'every day,'" the charges state.
"The defendant, in this matter, has been physically abusing the victims since at least 2023," according to charging documents. "(The mother) recounted having her eyes gouged, multiple incidents of strangulation, assault, and tampering, while the children ... recounted being hit, pinched, dragged down the stairs, and having their hair pulled."
After filing for a protective order from Musleh in October, "the victim also reported that the defendant deactivated their credit cards, took all the money out of their joint account, and took her car," prosecutors stated in their charges. "(Musleh) is charged with two first-degree and eight third-degree felonies for conduct related to incidents that occurred once the family settled in Utah. However, the number of events charged does not come close to the amount of abuse these victims have endured at the hands of the defendant over the course of multiple years."
The state has requested that Musleh be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Utah Survivor Services: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
