Pleasant Grove Foster Parent Arrested, Accused Of Manufacturing Child Pornography
Jan 5, 2019, 9:55 PM | Updated: Jan 6, 2019, 2:21 am
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah – A Pleasant Grove foster father was arrested Friday after police said a boy found a camera hidden in the bathroom of the home.
Police arrested John Kimble Friday for investigation of manufacturing child pornography, sexual abuse of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, and possession of child pornography.
According to a probable-cause statement, a 15-year-old staying in Kimble’s home found a camera hidden inside a candle holder in the bathroom he showered in.
When Pleasant Grove police arrived with a search warrant, they said they found that camera, as well as photos and videos of minors in the bathroom on Kimble’s cell phone.
Police also said they found more than 100 pictures and videos of child pornography on his phone. Police also said Kimble would discipline another child in the home by forcing him to strip naked and spank him.
An American Fork man named Darrell said his son was one of the boys in the home. KSL has chosen not to use Darrell’s last name to protect his son’s privacy.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this. I’m still trying to understand all this. It’s not only my son but how many other kids were there?” Darrell said Saturday evening.
Darrell wants the Utah Division of Child and Family Services to do a better job of vetting foster parents.
“Maybe we need to do a little more digging to find out who really should be foster parents and who shouldn’t be,” he said.
A DCFS spokesperson said they could not discuss the specifics of the case due to confidentiality, but detailed how the vetting process works.
Potential foster parents undergo a fingerprint check, criminal history check, child and adult neglect or abuse check, and a juvenile court records search.
“In the wake of this awful isolated incident, we are grateful for the thousands of foster parents in the state of Utah who go through this rigorous process and provide a safe and loving environment for children in need,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement to KSL 5 TV.
Kimble is in the Utah County Detention Center on $294,000 bail.
