OGDEN — Ogden police are investigating a former counselor at a youth home who is accused of sending sexually suggestive pictures to a boy at the home, and encouraging him to send pictures in return to make money.
As of Wednesday, no one has been arrested or charged in the case, but a search warrant recently unsealed in 2nd District Court outlines the investigation.
Ogden police on Tuesday confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into the man but declined further comment.
A 17-year-old boy said he was contacted by a man he met while he was involved with the Waterfall Canyon Academy. The man was a counselor at the time, according to the search warrant affidavit.
The man, 18, contacted the teen through a Facebook message and asked if he was interested in making money, the warrant states.
"All he needed to do was send a photo of his genitalia to (the man) and he could make upwards of $200 per photo," according to the warrant. "The victim was aware of a scam similar to this and told (the man) that he was not interested and tried to ignore him. The victim later received two photos of (genitalia) from (the man) showing him how easy it was to do."
The teen, who was disturbed by this, told a current counselor at Waterfall what had happened. The counselor contacted police, the affidavit states.
On its website, Waterfall Canyon Academy touts itself as a community-based therapeutic program "offering services to adolescents and young adults with cognitive, social, emotional and behavioral struggles."
One of the academy's directors, Richard Dimick, told the Deseret News Wednesday that his office has been working with Ogden police and that staff members are "definitely interested in some justice here," but he declined any further comment.
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