LAYTON, Utah — An 18-year-old is behind bars after police say he was using junior high school-aged kids to sell drugs for him in the Layton area.
The Layton Police Department became aware of Preston Kilpatrick after a 15-year-old boy reported he had been assaulted by him and a group of people on January 14 at Grey Hawk Park.
"During that assault, he actually took a handgun out and put it to the victim's head," said Lt. Travis Lyman with the Layton Police Department.
Lyman explained they began monitoring the social media activity of Kilpatrick and those he was involved with.
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Through that investigation, Lyman reported they found that he was using four or five minors, one as young as 13-years-old, to run drugs for his operation.
"They were pretty active selling both marijuana products, vape cartridges, things like that; also some mushrooms and there was also some discussion about selling acid to kids as young as eighth graders," said Lt. Lyman.
Lt. Lyman says Kilpatrick went as far as creating a social media group about his operation.
“He had actually named this small group that were doing this for him, I don’t know if it was an Instagram name, but he called them 'P-Dawg’s Little Drug Runners,'" said Lt. Lyman.
Brittany Hess has a child that goes to school in Layton. She says it is nerve racking knowing this was going on in an area where her child goes to school.
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"That’s my kids school area, you know it is crazy that our kids are being exposed to these things younger," said Hess.
She is hopeful something can be done, so this doesn't happen again.
"I don’t know that the school necessarily can control any of that, I don’t know how they would monitor that where it is social media, their personal platforms, as a parent, I would hope more people would take interest in their kids and check their social media," said Hess.
Kilpatrick was arrested and booked into the Davis County Jail on Monday and is facing multiple charges, including drug distribution and aggravated robbery.
A 17-year old boy and 13-year old girl were also arrested and booked into juvenile detention.
