Kaysville firefighter arrested on suspicion of enticing a minor

WEBER COUNTY, Utah — A Utah man was arrested Tuesday after police said he sent sexually-themed messages and inappropriate photos to an officer he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

The man was identified by court documents as 29-year-old Andrew Austin Leonard of Roy, Utah.

Kaysville Fire Department confirmed to KSL TV that Leonard was one of their firefighters.

Law enforcement, acting as a young teen girl on an undisclosed social media platform, was first messaged by Leonard on Jan. 7.

When asked in early conversations about age, law enforcement said “13 what bout you” to which Leonard responded, “oh woah. I’m 20.” Investigators said Leonard continued the conversation with the account, while believing it to be a 13-year-old girl in which he continually asked for photos of what court documents called a “small child.”

As the conversation progressed, Leonard said he wasn’t sure if the girl should like him since he was 29. The persona account stated, “if you don’t wanna be talking I can stop bothering you and leave you alone” to which Leonard replied, “You’re not bothering me at all!”

Leonard began to ask sexual questions and request nude photos. Documents state Leonard sent inappropriate photos to the account he thought was a young teen girl, and encouraged her to share inappropriate photos with messages like, “You can do it 🙂 Be brave.”

Law enforcement questioned Leonard at his place of employment where he confirmed he had been having a conversation with an underage girl that was of a “sexual nature” and that he had had the conversation while at his place of employment.

According to the court documents, Leonard’s behavior is “common among individuals who actively seek to engage in illegal behaviors with minors.”

Court documents state that Leonard “also works in a capacity of special trust and has regular contact with juveniles and at times they may be unresponsive.”

Kaysville Fire Department released the following statement:

“Yesterday a Kaysville City firefighter, was arrested at the Fire Station on charges related to child pornography.

As a result, the Kaysville Fire Department has terminated his employment with the city.

Any allegation of a crime against children must be taken seriously.  Such allegations are extremely rare, and when one occurs, we take immediate action.
 
As a City we provide regular training to employees about recognizing and preventing sexual harassment.
 
Our staff members work diligently to ensure that they are safe and secure in the City.  While we do not know many of the details surrounding the charges, our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone victimized by this senseless atrocity.
 
These allegations leave everyone in our City shocked and dismayed.  Counseling and support services will be available for any staff members who need them.

Questions about the criminal case should be directed to the Roy City Police Department.”

Leonard was arrested on suspicion of felony charges of enticement of a minor and dealing in materials harmful to minors.