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ST. GEORGE — A Utah man was arrested Tuesday and accused of soliciting specific photos from women throughout the nation — some as younger as 11-years previous.
Johnathan Paul Sperry, 25, of St. George, was arrested Tuesday by the Web Crimes Towards Kids process power and booked into jail in Washington County. He was formally charged on Wednesday in seventh District Courtroom with 9 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; three counts of engaging a minor by web, and 5 counts of dealing in dangerous materials to a minor, each third-degree felonies.
The investigation started on March 17 when investigators from the Auburn Police Division in Indiana contacted authorities in Utah. Indiana detectives investigating one other case mentioned they got here throughout proof on an 11-year-old woman’s cellphone of sexually specific Snapchat conversations with an individual whose username is “Groovydragon.”
Whereas reviewing messages, police found “Groovydragon” had requested nude photos and movies from the younger woman, and in addition despatched her at the very least one video in return, in accordance with a police reserving affidavit. “Groovydragon” was later decided to be Sperry, in accordance with police.
As investigators regarded deeper into Sperry’s Snapchat account by serving search warrants, they discovered a sample of habits the place Sperry used the Snapchat account “to focus on juvenile social media app customers and both solicit recordsdata of kid pornography or baby sexual abuse materials and/or ship nude images of himself,” the affidavit states.
Investigators recognized 4 different conversations with women through which Sperry identifies himself as a 20-year-old, whereas two of the women state they’re 16, in accordance with the affidavit. Police say the opposite two women informed Sperry they have been 11. Regardless of informing him of their ages, Sperry engaged in sexually graphic conversations with every woman and requested photos and movies, the affidavit alleges.
Police mentioned they imagine “additional investigation will reveal extra victims,” the arrest report states. “Johnathan Sperry has proven a sample of focusing on juveniles, particularly juveniles as younger as 11 years previous … (and) has repeatedly solicited juveniles to document themselves conducting acts labeled as baby pornography or baby sexual abuse.
“Jonathan has contacted a number of younger women between the ages of 11 and 16 across the nation to solicit nude images,” the affidavit concluded in abstract as investigators requested he be held in jail with out the opportunity of posting bail pending the submitting of formal costs.
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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com crew in 2021 after a few years of reporting for the Deseret Information
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