Utah Judge Arrested for Allegedly Sending Sexual Images to Minors
A prominent Utah judge with a history of community involvement, especially with youth, has been arrested for allegedly sending sexually explicit images and videos to young girls on an online messaging platform. Kevin Robert Christensen, 64, was apprehended by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force after disturbing chat threads were discovered on his KIK account, according to reports from the West Valley City Police Department.
Authorities revealed that Christensen’s inappropriate chats with minors date back to September of last year. The Box Elder County judge is accused of engaging in graphic discussions about children with other adults on the platform and even soliciting explicit images of minors.
According to Longview News-Journal, the police report stated, “The position of trust he holds in the community and the actions he undertook while in this position significantly undermine the confidence of the community in the legitimacy of the criminal justice system.”
Investigation and Charges
The investigation into Christensen’s activities began on February 28 after reports of his discussions about sexually abusing children surfaced. Authorities found multiple inappropriate chats with underage girls where the judge allegedly participated in graphic sexual conversations.
One specific incident involved Christensen engaging in explicit chats with someone claiming to be a 13-year-old girl and sending them a video of a sexual act. Despite these actions, he later dismissed the conversations as mere fantasies, as reported by Fox 13.
Another disturbing chat involved the judge communicating with a supposed 16-year-old girl and exchanging lewd images, leading to charges of enticing a minor, attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, and dealing harmful materials to a minor.
Legal Background and Community Involvement
Christensen, who was appointed to the Box Elder County Justice Court in 1996, previously worked in private practice before his judicial appointment. A graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law, he received the Scott M. Matheson Award for outstanding service to law-related education in 2006.
Despite his legal achievements, the judge’s community involvement has come under scrutiny following his arrest. He often speaks to youth and civic groups about the court system, but his alleged actions have raised concerns about his suitability for such roles.
Following his arrest, county officials placed Christensen on administrative leave without pay, and he is currently held without bail at Davis County Jail.
