SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah Highway Patrol trooper was placed on administrative leave and later resigned shortly before charges were filed accusing him of sexually abusing three juveniles.
Trooper Bryan Adams, 45, is now facing multiple charges including two counts of aggravated abuse of a child, two counts of forcible sexual abuse, and two counts of lewdness involving a child.
Utah Highway Patrol said Adams had been with the agency since November 2012.
Charging documents report that Adams exposed himself multiple times, and inappropriately touched a juvenile.
The incidents occurred between October of 2019 and October 2021, documents state.
Utah Highway Patrol said they received a complaint against Adams on March 10 and he was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. On April 11, Adams resigned from UHP.
On April 21, criminal charges were filed against Adams.
"The Utah Department of Public Safety’s Office of Professional Standards is currently completing an internal investigation, to include a review of the criminal charges resulting from the UCSO investigation, as well as internal policy violations," a statement from UHP reads. "At the conclusion of this investigation, the findings will be referred to Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST)."
"The mission of the Utah Highway Patrol can only be accomplished by maintaining the public trust and confidence of those we serve. Criminal charges of this nature are extremely serious and do not represent the standards we strive to attain or the values we hold at UHP," a statement from the agency reads.
