DAVIS COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 4, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Davis County man has been arrested after allegedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.
A probable cause statement from the 2nd District Court of Farmington said Phillip Brandon Stokes, 40, is facing charges of:
- Rape of a child, a first-degree felony
- Three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of entice a minor by internet or text, a second-degree felony
- Four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony
- Obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony
- Four counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony
On or about July 27, Davis County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a male, later identified as Stokes, who was communicating with an 11-year-old victim online using a popular social media platform, the statement said.
“The report stated that the online conversations were sexual in nature and indicated that the suspect met the victim in person and sexually abused the victim,” the statement said. “Legal process was served on the suspect’s social media accounts.”
Investigators conducted follow-up interviews and digital forensics and recovered the conversations between Stokes and the victim.
“Investigators determined Stokes coerced the victim online and directed her to a text application; on the text application, the suspect coerced the victim into sending nude images; the victim is clearly prepubescent,” the statement said. “On the same day the conversation began on the text application, Stokes introduced sexual language.”
Stokes asked the victim if she has a boyfriend and if she shares “pics” sometimes, the statement said. Stokes also stated he was 17 years old. He allegedly sent an explicit image to the victim, but then alluded that he sent it accidentally, then “coerced” her into sending an explicit video and at least one image of herself. Investigators are still working on forensics and believe there are additional images or videos of the victim, the statement said.
The text conversation also allegedly indicates specific times when Stokes met the victim in person, and in conversations following one of the meetings, the suspect spoke about touching her inappropriately.
Also during the chats, Stokes allegedly sent four sexually explicit images of himself, six images of animated child pornography, and two images of adult pornography.
A forensic interview was conducted with the victim, and she disclosed Stokes met her in a park within Davis County and said he forcibly touched her. She stated she told him to stop “20 times.”
On Monday, the Davis County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Child Exploitation Task Force executed a search warrant at Stokes’s residence. Stokes was interviewed, and post-Miranda admitted to owning and operating the social media account he used to contact the victim, the probable cause statement said. Stokes also allegedly admitted to receiving the victim’s nude images, sending photos, and discussing sexual activities. He also allegedly admitted to meeting the victim at least two times in a park in Davis County, and touching her inappropriately.
“Stokes admitted that he is a stranger to the victim and that he began communication with the victim with the intent to commit the crimes described above,” the statement said. “Stokes further admitted that he deleted the social media accounts after he believed the incident was reported. The cellular phone Stokes used to commit these crimes was destroyed after the case was reported, Stokes admitted to disposing of it, and it was not recovered.”
Stokes also admitted to investigators that he has sexually abused at least two other children and allegedly touched multiple other victims, the probable cause statement said. These additional cases are currently being investigated.
He was transported to Davis County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
