Utah High School Counselor and Boys Soccer Coach Jailed After Undercover Online Operation

A counselor at Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah, who also served as head coach of the boys soccer team, was arrested this week and booked into the Davis County Jail on suspicion of solicitation of a minor and enticing a minor, KSL reported. According to a police booking affidavit cited by the station, the 44-year-old used his phone to communicate with children and juveniles on an unnamed chat website and social media app.

KSL reported that the affidavit states he acknowledged the conversations could have included sexual content, that he often felt guilty afterward, and that he admitted asking minors for nude photos. According to the station, he eventually arranged to meet an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl and was arrested shortly after arriving. KUTV reported he faces one count of first-degree felony criminal solicitation of a minor and one count of second-degree felony enticing a minor, and that investigators told the court he posed a danger to the community because his job gave him routine access to minors and placed him in a position of trust.

Court records cited by KUTV show he was ordered held without bail pending a pretrial hearing. The station reported that the Davis School District placed him on leave immediately after the arrest, and separately reported that Viewmont High School did not notify parents about it. None of the allegations have been tested in court.