TREMONTON, Utah — A former FBI agent who spent years investigating cases similar to one that has shocked and enraged Box Elder County residents shared insight into their complexity.
Tremonton Fire Chief Ned Brady Hansen and Judge Kevin Robert Christensen both face child sex abuse charges, with case details showing the two allegedly shared child pornography and discussed fantasies of abusing children together.
Greg Rogers is now a private investigator after serving for 30 years with the FBI working on child pornography cases.
"Every day you don’t arrest them, there’s a chance they might perpetrate on a child," Rogers shared. "So it keeps you up at night — it’s a different type of motivation to work hard."
Even after all his time investigating similar cases, Rogers said the one involving Hansen and Christensen is quite rare, especially when Christensen initially released Hansen on his initial plea despite being advised to hold him without bail.
"Their particular professions are admittedly unusual," said Rogers.
Due to the nature of the case and those involved, Rogers believes additional charges will be filed and it will be referred to federal authorities.
"Distribution of those materials has a 10-year minimum mandatory sentence in the federal system. Very serious charges," explained Rogers.
The investigation into the judge and fire chief began in November following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"These two folks weren’t that careful. They weren’t that savvy. That’s why they got caught," added Rogers.
Unfortunately, Rogers said that while these types of crimes may seem rare, they are not, and he advises parents to talk to their children about staying safe online. He added that Utah crimes involving child pornography are higher per capita than in other states.
Rogers said investigators are likely reviewing electronic evidence and trying to find where the unlawful child pornography was sent and distributed.
"That’s how these cases grow," he said. "This case is going to generate a number of other cases."
