FILE: An Orem police vehicle is pictured in Orem on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
OREM, Utah — A captain with the Utah Department of Corrections faces serious charges after Orem police say he tried to entice a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl for sex.
Victor Smith, 55 of Eagle Mountain, is currently on administrative leave from the state prison.
In a probable cause statement, Orem police said Smith used an internet app to arrange the meeting. They said he allegedly used language that indicated he believed the person he was messaging was indeed underage.
“Defendant discussed possibly meeting on Friday, November 5, and stated ‘but you’ll have school I assume,’ showing his knowledge of the potential victim’s age,” police wrote in the document.
Police argued that Smith, whose first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, should be held without bail because of his position in law enforcement. They also pointed out comments he made that suggested a pattern of behavior.
“In his chats SMITH told the person he believes to be a child that ‘last week’ he solicited someone using the internet for sex and that ‘today [he] was supposed to meet a (way younger) girl,'” investigators wrote in the probable cause statement. “This appears to be an ongoing pattern of behavior which increases the Defendant’s level of danger to the community.”
Smith faces charges of attempted sodomy on a child, a 1st-degree felony, and enticing a minor by internet or text, a 2nd-degree felony.
In a statement, the Utah Department of Corrections confirmed Smith’s leave from the prison.
“…we are aware of Vic Smith’s arrest,” the department said in a statement. “This behavior is not tolerated and swift action will be taken starting with the placement of Mr. Smith on administrative leave this past Saturday.”