Latest news with #ICACTipLine
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Blanding man arrested for unlawful sexual contact with 16-year-old while in ‘secret relationship'
Content warning: This article contains information about alleged child sexual abuse material. Reader discretion is advised. Report CSAM to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency. BLANDING, Utah () — A Blanding man has been arrested for allegedly having a 'secret relationship' with a 16-year-old and encouraging her to send him explicit sexual photos, which are considered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) due to her age. Kerry Dean Benally, 30, was booked into the San Juan County Jail on five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, five counts of distributing material harmful to a minor, and five counts of unlawful sexual contact with a 16 to 17-year-old. Charges have not been formally filed by the county attorney yet. According to court documents, on June 4, 2025, a 16-year-old victim was interviewed at the Children's Justice Center after the Blanding Police Department was made aware of a possible sex offense committed against her by a 30-year-old man. The victim told police that she had been communicating and spending time with Benally. Roy woman charged after 10-month-old baby hospitalized for ingesting narcotics, documents say The 16-year-old stated that she had been speaking with Benally through Instagram, and that she had spent 'a couple of nights over' with Benally at his family member's trailer. Documents say that she would not go into detail about those nights, but did confirm they had slept in the same bed. Documents say that the victim was told that she and Benally 'needed to keep their relationship a secret from other people.' The usernames for Benally and the 16-year-old were obtained, and the Blanding Police Department filed a search warrant. Two days later, on June 6, the search warrant for the Instagram accounts was returned. In the messages, police located CSAM created of the teenage victim, as well as explicit sexual photos Benally sent to the victim of himself. Throughout the conversation, Benally repeatedly asked the victim for sexual photos and had explicit conversations with her. He also discussed the five times that they had met in person, and spoke about having illegal sexual relations with the minor during those times. On Aug. 12, an officer with the Blanding Police Department was 'able to locate Kerry [Benally] while he was driving.' The officer knew that Benally had a warrant for a previous incident, and was driving without a valid driver's license. Midvale man charged for alleged road rage incident where he hit victim's car, swung metal pole The Blanding Police officer arrested Benally and brought him to the San Juan County Jail. When they arrived, the officer began asking questions about his 'relationship' with the 16-year-old victim. Benally allegedly stated that he 'knew of her' and was 'talking to her a little bit' through Instagram. Through further questioning, Benally admitted that they had started talking in February, but claimed he stopped talking to her when he 'found out how old she was.' He also claimed she once told him she was 19. The 30-year-old told the officer that while she was at his family member's trailer, he had gone home and let her stay there alone. The officer told Benally that he had the messages between them and 'confronted him about lying.' Benally admitted that he knew the victim was 16 and that he had continued sending and receiving graphic sexual photos despite her age. Benally was booked into the San Juan County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Latest headlines: Celebrate National Thrift Shop Day with discount deals Social Security marks 90th anniversary Keeping the wheels turning for adaptive sports Utah Jazz 2025-26 schedule released 21-year-old hit and killed on e-bike in Riverton, thrown over 180 feet Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
South Jordan man sentenced to federal prison for CSAM possession, was a repeat offender
Content warning: This article contains information about alleged child sexual abuse material. Reader discretion is advised. Report CSAM to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency. SALT LAKE CITY () — A South Jordan man previously convicted for possessing over 500 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has been sentenced to federal prison for his crime. Daniel David Egli, 51, of South Jordan, was convicted on Nov. 4, 2024, for possessing CSAM while on federal supervision for another charge during 2021. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell sentenced him today. Egli was sentenced to 210 months' imprisonment — over 19 years. He will also serve a lifetime term of supervised release, meaning that he will be required to check in with a probation officer for the rest of his life, and can be sent back to prison if he violates the terms of his release. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Repeat sex offender found guilty for third time in federal child exploitation case According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Utah (UAO), Egli's parole officer discovered that Egli had a laptop and smartphone, as well as other electronic devices he was not permitted to have as part of his release conditions. When Egli's devices were reviewed, it was discovered that he had accessed, viewed, and possessed nearly 500 files of CSAM. He was charged with the offense in 2022 and convicted in 2024. He had a history of child exploitation and had been convicted of the same offense in 2004 and again in 2010. 'Egli is a repeat offender of child exploitation, and he has shown a complete lack of remorse and rehabilitation in his continued behavior,' Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah is quoted in the release. 'Community safety is a priority of the U.S. Attorney's Office, and our law enforcement partners. Our community and the children in it are safer with Egli behind bars.' Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Latest headlines: Oversight Democrats call for hearing with Epstein victims Exclusive: Family of 11-year-old drowning victim in Gunnison speaks out, says he was 'not your typical kid' South Jordan man sentenced to federal prison for CSAM possession, was a repeat offender Bear Lake Raspberry Days celebrates 40th anniversary Critical fire threat and high heat today Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
Former U.S. serviceman charged with possessing child sexual abuse material, documents say
Report child sexual abuse material to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency. OGDEN, Utah () — A man living in Ogden has been arrested and charged after he admitted to sexual crimes against children during a job security clearance process. He is also allegedly being investigated by the U.S. Military for crimes committed against children in Maryland. Sean Allen Loveridge, 52, has been charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony. According to documents, on June 11, 2025, an Ogden City Police Officer was assigned to investigate Loveridge after he allegedly confessed to sexual crimes against children during a 'job process and security clearance.' Riverdale man charged with sexually assaulting, giving alcohol to underage teen, documents say That same day, the officer met with Loveridge to discuss what had happened. Loveridge allegedly told the officer that he had sexually assaulted four young children — some of whom were family members — while living in another state and that he was attracted to 'pubescent and prepubescent females.' During the interview, Loveridge also allegedly confessed that he had previously viewed child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but 'did not do it anymore.' He told the officer that he had an external hard drive for storing information and photos, but claimed it did not contain any CSAM. Loveridge gave the external hard drive to the officer to search. The police officer drafted a search warrant for the external hard drive and began investigating what was stored on it on June 13. According to documents, the officer found 'hundreds of screenshots of young girls on Instagram' that were graphic and/or sexual in nature. Orem man sentenced to federal prison for creating and possessing CSAM Additionally, the officer allegedly found 'thousands of photos of young girls taken in various church events, parks, and parties' that inappropriately framed the underage children. Police determined that some of these photos were taken of children whom Loveridge had confessed to sexually abusing. Documents state that Loveridge is currently being investigated by the U.S. Military in Maryland. Loveridge allegedly committed the sexual crimes against children he confessed to while serving in the military. Loveridge was booked into Weber County Jail on June 13 and was charged in the second district court earlier today. He is currently being held without bail. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Trump administration lifts restrictions on ICE raids at farms, hotels and restaurants From BYU to Pixar: Stacey Truman on art, animation, and her work in'Elio' Tooele man arrested for drug use and possession while celebrating his birthday, documents say Dirt spilled during rollover on I-15 in American Fork, causing traffic delays The Half-Percent Coach: Real Salt Lake's Anthony Pulis and the margins that matter Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
How to keep children from online predators
SALT LAKE CITY () — Online security is an ever-present issue for young families, and safety for children is a bigger issue now than ever before. One Utah expert is urging parents to keep up-to-date as technology evolves. 'Predators are getting more aggressive in how they do things,' Michelle Busch-Upwall, Internet Crimes Against Children Education Specialist, told Whether it's Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook, online predators can communicate with children in more ways than one. 'They can come out of state to meet them. We hear a lot more who are crossing state lines, but there's a lot in-state and out-of-county. A lot of the sextortion cases are out of county,' Busch-Upwall said. RELATED: Florida man arrested for allegedly flying to Utah to kidnap, marry teenager Busch-Upwall is an internet crimes specialist who says most of the time, predators groom kids by earning their trust first and then eventually persuading them to meet in person. 'They identify them as a friend or boyfriend/girlfriend, so they've gained that trust through the grooming process and that's the way they are meeting offline,' Busch-Upwall said. This is something John McGee worries about when his two-year-old daughter gets older. 'We will have tabs on her phone to the best of our abilities,' McGee said. McGee continued: 'Whenever we decide to give her a phone, we will have all the conversations and do all the research. It's a very scary thing, all that's going on with cybersecurity right now.' Other parents share McGee's concerns. 'She's probably not allowed to have social media until she's 14 and even then it will be limited,' Adam Rudy said of his daughter. Busch-Upwall says it's important for parents to have hard technology conversations with their children early on. 'Because things evolve. I always tell parents, I know it's really tough with the acronyms and emojis and all the things that are happening, like AI and new technology — make sure you keep yourself up on that as much as you can,' Busch-Upwall said. The offers several steps for parents for '.' Some of the steps include parents talking with children often in an open manner, searching for anything they don't understand, and using parental controls on kids' devices. The FBI also has resources online to explain and the resources available. You can report child pornography to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency. How to keep children from online predators Man arrested for nearly 30 counts of child sex abuse after chatting with two undercover officers First cousins can legally get married in Utah — plus other marriage laws you may not have known about Denver Broncos' confidence is high after the NFL Draft We Win Injury Law: Fighting for Utah families when it matters most Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man arrested for nearly 30 counts of child sex abuse after chatting with two undercover officers
CONTENT WARNING: This article contains information about alleged child sexual abuse material, and child sex abuse. Report child pornography to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency. LEHI, Utah (ABC4) — A man who allegedly contacted two undercover officers, believing them to be underage girls, was arrested for nearly 30 counts of child sex abuse after attempting to meet a minor for illegal activity. Joseph Eugene Mangrum, 42, had allegedly been chatting with two separate undercover investigators who were conducting investigations into online predators, according to Lehi's Special Victims Unit. In the first case, Mangrum was allegedly chatting with someone who he had thought was 13 years old, and asked the investigator to go on a 'different platform' to 'have conversations he didn't want to have on the current platform.' He allegedly went on to say in the conversation that he '[had] to be careful' because he didn't 'want to go to jail.' In the chat with the second investigator, who reportedly had the username 'I am a cop,' Mangrum allegedly engaged in more explicit chats, this time with someone he was told was a 16-year-old girl. In both chats, Mangrum allegedly asked for nude photographs, attempted to engage in explicit conversations with both investigators, and described lewd actions that he would do if he were to meet up with either victim. Eventually, Mangrum allegedly arranged a meeting with the detective posing as the 13-year-old. As he showed up at the meeting location after driving over an hour, he was taken into custody and was allegedly found with 'condoms and lubrication' in his possession. After obtaining a search warrant to go through Mangrum's phone, police allegedly found at least 10 child sex abuse material (CSAM) videos that depicted young children. During the search, police allegedly found messages with the supplier of the CSAM that Mangrum 'desired to engage in sexual activity with children but had not had the opportunity yet.' Mangrum has been booked into Utah County Jail, facing 26 individual felony charges. These include: 10 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, all first-degree felonies; 2 counts of enticing a minor, one a second-degree felony, the other class A misdemeanor 1 count of rape of a child, a second-degree felony 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all second-degree felonies, and 1 count of sodomy on a child, a second-degree felony Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
