Utah man sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for child sex abuse material

NEPHI — A Utah man was sentenced to prison Tuesday after child pornography was discovered on his phone after a return from the Philippines.

He was the owner of a nonprofit organization providing educational support for children in foreign countries and was investigated for possible involvement in sex tourism.  He was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after child pornography was discovered on his phone after it was seized last year as part of that investigation.

Kenneth Merlin Richens, 61, was searched at the border in Seattle, Washington, on suspicion of sex tourism, according to original probable cause documents. He has not charged or tried on those suspicions, but for the files were found when his phone was seized.

Richens pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, both second-degree felonies. Eight additional counts were dismissed with prejudice, according to court documents. He was sentenced in 4th District Court in Juab County.

Each count carries a penalty of one to 15 years in prison, meaning he faces a minimum of two years and a maximum of 30 years in consecutive sentences. It was recommended he be given credit for time served, approximately 11 months. He will be confined at the Utah State Prison.

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security attempted to arrest Richens’ at his residence in Nephi on May 4, 2023, but he was not home, according to the indictment. He was arrested the following day in Washington County and transferred to the Juab County Jail and was held without bail.

The indictment also states that Richens has traveled to the Philippines 49 times since 2011, as well as other countries associated with sex tourism.