Magna man arrested in attempt to sexually assault child

LOGAN — A man was arrested by Logan police after they say he traveled to rape a 9-year-old girl on Feb. 7.

Jesus Garcia, 22, responded to an undercover officer in a post on an online forum seeking a “third person to engage in sexual activity with the posting persona and his daughter,” according to a police affidavit.

After planning specifics of the encounter, Garcia traveled to Logan from Magna, talked further with the undercover officer, met up with him, and was arrested by Logan police.

While searching Garcia’s vehicle, officers located “a pink stuffed animal” with a receipt showing that it was purchased as a gift the day prior, according to the affidavit.

During interrogation, Garcia admitted to the chats, as well as the sexual nature. He also confessed to “having engaged in sexually charged chats with (other) underaged minors,” as well as “receiving nude photographs of a 16 or 17-year-old female minor.” The 17-year-old “identified herself as (a minor) in a chat with Jesus,” police said.

Later that day, a search warrant was obtained for Garcia’s personal phone, which yielded several child sex abuse material images, according to a different police affidavit.

These images contained victims ranging from ages 6 to 17, leading to Garcia being charged with a further 10 charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

In total, Garcia has been charged with 14 crimes. These include 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; two counts of sodomy on a child, a first-degree felony; and two counts of enticing a minor with the modifier of first-degree felony sexual activity, a second-degree felony.

Garcia has been booked in the Cache County Jail and is awaiting further trial.