LOGAN, Utah, Nov. 27, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Logan man is facing 22 felony charges after a tip alerted officers of the Logan City Police Department to the suspect’s alleged child exploitation activities.
Fredy Argueta, 53, faces charges of:
- 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony
- Six counts of enticing a minor by internet or text, a third-degree felony
- Six counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony
The case
A probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Logan City Police Department says Facebook alerted police to a suspect sharing texts and videos including images and videos of children being sexually violated.
In addition, “Facebook data revealed that the suspect account engaged in numerous chats with other Facebook users who identify themselves as minors,” the police statement says. “The suspect account identifies himself as a 21-year-old male.”
According to the probable cause statement, the suspect, later identified as Argueta, “engages in sexually explicit conversations with many other minor Facebook users and obtains pornographic content from them.”
Google and Facebook data identified an Alcatel brand tablet which had been utilized to access the account. An IP address associated with the account led officers to Argueta’s home address, the statement said.
Surveillance was set up, and Argueta was seen coming and going from the suspect address. He was taken into custody, and a search of his room turned up an Alcatel tablet matching device identifiers from the Google and Facebook data. Argueta confirmed the tablet was his, the officer’s statement says.
Argueta contacted at least six minors, who had stated their ages in their messages, and engaged with “sexually explicit conversations with them.” He also requested photos, and sent photos to them, the statement says. “Fredy denied ownership or participation in these acts despite being confronted with overwhelming evidence of such.”
Officers say they also found forged Social Security cards and other identifying documents in the room occupied by Argueta, the statement says, adding, “The investigation into this matter is ongoing.”
Argueta was booked into the Cache County jail on Tuesday and is being held without bail, according to court documents.
