FARMINGTON, Utah, March 4, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 36-year-old California man has been arrested after police say he traveled to Utah to sexually abuse a Davis County teenager.
Austin David Arnold was booked into the Davis County Jail on Monday for investigation of enticing a minor, a first-degree felony, and sexual abuse of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
Emergency dispatchers received a report Sunday afternoon about a missing teen believed to have run away, the Davis County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The teen had not been seen since the early morning hours, and family members had been unable to reach them via cellphone, the release says.
The teen also had changed their voicemail message, which led family members to believe it was a distress signal based on conversations they’d had about safety, according to the sheriff’s office.
About 8:30 p.m. Sunday, the teen sent a message to a family member and shared their location. Deputies and investigators with the Davis Child Abduction Response Team responded to the hotel and found the teen and four adults, including Arnold, the release says.
Arnold admitted to traveling from his home in California to meet the teen and was arrested, according to the sheriff’s office. The other three adults were interviewed and released.
“Crimes against children continue to occur every single day in the state of Utah and the United States. We remind parents about the dangers of social media and the grooming tactics used by these predators to entice children,” a statement from the Davis County Sheriff’s Office says.
“Never underestimate the depravity of someone who wants to victimize children. Parents need to remain vigilant in their efforts to educate their children about these dangers. Have an open dialogue with them and provide a safe space so children can report when unknown people contact them.”
