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KANAB — A Kane County real estate agent is being investigated for allegedly stalking local women, taking surreptitious pictures of local children, and entering other people's homes to commit sex acts, according to a new search warrant.
As of Thursday, the 49-year-old Kanab man had not been arrested nor charged. The Kane County Sheriff's Office could only confirm Thursday that it was an active investigation but otherwise could not comment on the case. KSL has opted not to name that man at this time. Investigators, however, have questioned him about some of the allegations against him, to which he has admitted to, the warrant states.
The investigation began in February when the man attempted to get his laptop fixed, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Thursday in 6th District Court. The man hired to fix the laptop came across what he thought was child pornography while doing his repair work and reported it to police, the warrant state.
Further forensic examination found that the "computer contained hundreds of images of young prepubescent girls. There were pornographic videos and pictures of local women. Upon further analysis, it was evident that (the man) was stalking local women," the warrant states.
Investigators found numerous pictures of one of the man's co-workers.
"The majority of the pictures were taken discretely without (the woman's) knowledge," the warrant states. "It’s obvious that (the woman) has no knowledge that she’s being photographed by (the man). It’s evident that (the man) has a fascination with (her)," according to the warrant.
Investigators also discovered pictures of a female neighbor and a former female neighbor who was the prior resident of the same house, the warrant states.
"These pictures aren’t particularly alarming unless they are taken in context with pictures of other women," according to the warrant.
With one of the neighbors, investigators noted in the warrant that detectives found images that they called, "alarming."
"It appears that (the man) is stalking (her) because he has cut and pasted images of (her) from their original state to images of young nude women. Some of these images are pornographic. These images would be alarming to any reasonable citizen that viewed them," the warrant states. "These images, coupled with images of others on (the man's) computer show that he is stalking more than one woman."
Some of the images discovered by police appear to date back to 2009, the warrant states. In one case, a picture was taken of a framed picture of two juveniles inside a house that the man was selling as part of his real estate job, the warrant states.
Investigators deduced not only that "pictures on his computer show that he has a very distinct interest in adolescent females," the warrant states. But also, "Because (the man) has access to multiple homes through his employment, has taken pictures of framed pictures inside children’s rooms, there is reason to believe that (he) has been (committing sex acts) in these rooms."
The warrant states that investigators found pictures that suggested the man had been entering other people's homes and "multiple bedrooms," and hanging women's underwear on his genitals and committing sex acts.
In addition, investigators believe that the man has been using "different cameras/cellular phones" to take pictures of high school cheerleaders from his office, the warrant states.
"There is evidence that (the man) researched baby monitor/cameras. (The man) has no children living in his home," according to the warrant.
Other pictures found on his laptop include juvenile girls eating at a local fast-food restaurant. Though the pictures individually are not child pornography, "Taken in context with the other pictures it’s evident that these pictures were for (the man's) collection/pleasure," the warrant states. "These suspected activities along with evidence from (the man's) computer show the predatory nature of (the man)."
Investigators said the man had an "extensive collection of female children in multiple stages of dress/undress" as well as an "extensive collection of juvenile female pictures," the warrant states.
The warrant states that detectives seized 11 cellphones, tablets, computers, hard drives and SD cards.
