Utah FBI employee arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of child sex abuse
Aug 29, 2022, 1:36 PM | Updated: 1:38 pm
(FILE) - A Tooele County Sheriff's Office patrol car. (Tooele County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page)
(Tooele County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page)
STANSBURY PARK, Utah — A Utah man, who is also an employee of the FBI, has been arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse.
Robert Alexander Smith, 65, was arrested at his home in Stansbury Park and booked into the Tooele County Jail after an investigation by the county sheriff’s office that included interviews with up to five minor girls who said they were victims of Smith.
“He was booked on four counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child without incident,” court documents state.
Smith is an employee of the FBI. In a statement, the FBI said the possible misconduct has been referred to the bureau’s internal affairs department in the following statement:
“We are aware of the arrest of an FBI employee. The FBI takes allegations of misconduct very seriously. As such, the incident has been referred to the FBI’s Internal Affairs Section. We cannot comment further on an ongoing personnel matter.”
Smith’s specific role with the FBI was not immediately clear.
An affidavit of probable cause filed in 3rd District Court in Tooele said the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible sex offense case that involved several girls. In June one girl spoke to the person who filed the complaint to report something “very uncomfortable.” The girl told the trusted person that Smith had touched her sexually, multiple times, two years before she spoke up about it. She said she was 6 or 7 years old when the abuse took place.
The complainant individually spoke with other minor girls who were in close contact with Smith. The girls ranged in age from pre-teen to high-school aged and reportedly, each of the girls became emotional and started crying when asked if anything inappropriate had happened with Smith.
Each of the girls was interviewed at a Children’s Advocacy Center and recorded. Each of the girls reported inappropriate touching, including some who reported genital touching.
“Mr. Smith occupied a position of special trust as it pertains to the victims in this case,” documents state. He was described as a caregiver and was said to have authority over the girls.
On Aug. 24 law enforcement contacted Smith at his home. He declined to speak with law enforcement about the accusations and was placed into custody without incident, documents state.
