SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 9, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Washington County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a case involving the abuse of a North Dakota teen.
James Steed Allred, 41, of Apple Valley, targeted a 14-year-old victim by using a fake social media account. Allred admitted to using a fake online persona in April 2020 to contact the North Dakota girl, says a statement issued by the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.
The statement describes Allred as a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The FLDS Church is not associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Using a Snapchat account, he represented to the victim he was a teenage boy living in Washington County, Utah, and provided fake photos,” the DOJ statement says.
“Allred engaged in extensive romantic communication and sent gifts to the victim in an attempt to engage in illegal sexual activity with the minor. In April 2021, shortly after the teenage victim moved to Colorado City, Arizona with her family, Allred traveled from Utah to Arizona and engaged in illegal sexual conduct with the victim multiple times while continuing to deceive the teen that he was a teenage boy.”
After pleading guilty to use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor, Allred was sentenced to five years in prison and 15-years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah said her office is committed to “protecting minor victims from violent criminals who prey on their innocence via the internet. Thanks to our law enforcement partners we were able to investigate this case and seek justice for the victim as she continues to heal from the trauma inflicted by this crime.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Stephen Dent, for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
