BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — A judge in Box Elder County has been arrested and faces multiple child sex charges after evidence allegedly shows that he distributed and received child sex abuse material online.
Kevin Robert Christensen, 64, was arrested Thursday following an investigation by the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Christensen is currently listed as a judge with the Box Elder County Justice Court overseeing cases involving Class B misdemeanor offenses and lower crimes.
According to the arrest documents, the FBI was informed on Feb. 28 of someone communicating online with others about "sexually abusing children, sexually exploiting children, and enticing children."
In a November chat recovered from Christensen's online account, the judge believed he was speaking with a 13-year-old girl and engaged in sexually graphic conversation, and also sent a video of an adult male performing a sexual act. Following more sexually explicit conversation, Christensen allegedly told the child that the chat was "merely fantasy."
During another chat in September, Christensen engaged in more sexually graphic conversations with someone who said they were a 16-year-old girl.
The arrest documents added that there was evidence that Christensen "communicated with multiple underage people online. In other chats with adults he expresses sexual interest in young children and solicits [Child Sexual Abuse Material] from those people." He allegedly claimed in chats to have sexually abused children with whom he was related,
"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," the report said.
Christensen, who was appointed to the Box Elder County court in May 1996, was booked into the Davis County Jail following his arrest. He faces several charges, including enticing a minor and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
Box Elder County has placed Christensen on administrative leave without pay.
