PROVO — A convicted sex abuser is now facing a new first-degree felony charge of attempting to arrange the killing of a deputy Utah County attorney.
From his cell in the Utah County jail, Karl Otterson, 40, allegedly arranged with a hit man — who was actually an undercover police officer — to "take care of" David Sturgill, according to court documents.
Sturgill had no comment when contacted by the Deseret Morning News.
Otterson, who had previously entered guilty pleas to five felony counts of sex abuse of a child, was upset with Sturgill and didn't want him at his sentencing on Sept. 13.
Officials at the jail were tipped to the plot in late August after other inmates volunteered information about the plan.
The sentencing by 4th District Judge Samuel McVey went ahead as scheduled with Deputy Utah County Attorney Tim Taylor standing in for Sturgill.
McVey sentenced Otterson to one prison term of 15-years-to-life, and four other terms of five-years-to-life, on the first-degree felony counts, including one count of sodomy of a child and four charges of aggravated sex abuse of a child. The 15-year sentence as well as three of the five-year sentences will run consecutively; the other five-year term will run concurrently.
Acting on information from other inmates, jail officials called in an undercover officer on Aug. 29. The officer met with Otterson and was told he could collect $1,000 from Otterson's mother in Orem at a specific date and time, according to court documents.
Otterson also wrote down notes, instructing the man to buy a gun if he needed one, according to court documents.
The undercover officer contacted the mother and received $910. The mother later told officials the money was intended to get Otterson into a treatment facility, instead of prison, and that she had already paid out $14,000 for that purpose, according to court documents.
The threat was taken seriously and was well within control of officials, said Utah County Attorney Kay Bryson.
"It doesn't happen everyday, but it's not the first time it's happened," Bryson said. "I've had threats made against my life. It's more me than it is deputies in the office."
Although Utah code allows for enhancement of charges if threats are made against an elected official, such as a mayor, city council member or Bryson, Sturgill doesn't fall into that category, Bryson said. The charge — solicitation of aggravated murder — is a first-degree felony and punishable by five-years-to-life in prison.
Because of the conflict of interest, the Utah County Attorney's office has turned the case over to Juab County deputy attorney Jared Eldridge for prosecution.
Otterson previously pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony charge of sex abuse of a child in 2001.
E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com