SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 19, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Taylorsville man after he allegedly attempted to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
A news release issued by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Utah, says that Kendrick Aristotle Eastes, 31, has been charged in the case.
According to the court documents, on Feb. 16 of this year, Eastes communicated through social networking app Grinder with “an undercover agent whom he believed was the stepfather of a 7-year-old boy. As the chat continued, Eastes and the undercover agent planned a meeting so that Eastes could meet with and engage in sexual activity with the minor. Estes arrived at the meeting site intending to have sex with the minor but was immediately arrested and taken into custody.”
Eastes is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography, the news release says. The defendant had his initial court appearance Wednesday, April 19, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“The weight of the evidence is substantial,” said Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead, who ordered Eastes remain in custody, the statement says.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Las Vegas. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mark Y. Hirata, of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
