West Jordan man arrested for allegedly enticing teen online


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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who allegedly tried to entice a 15-year-old girl on Facebook to have sex with him was arrested Friday.

David Kent Davis, 52, of West Jordan, contacted what he thought was a 15-year-old girl on Facebook, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report. He arranged to meet the girl at the Doubletree Hotel, 110 W. 600 South, Friday afternoon for the purpose of having sex, the report stated. When he arrived at the hotel, he was arrested by police.

Davis was booked into jail for investigation of enticing a minor over the Internet.

The report did not disclose whether the victim was really a teen girl or undercover officer or how Davis allegedly knew the girl to get her to "friend" him on Facebook.

Salt Lake City police said they would not release any additional details Sunday.

Dr. Greg Hudnall, executive director of Hope4Utah, a suicide prevention organization, says there are many steps parents can take to protect their children from threats over the internet and on mobile phones. Hudnall gives presentations to parents and educators across the state on how to protect youths from harmful online influences.

Perhaps most of all, it's imperative for parents to frequently check in with their children and monitor their use of technology, he said.

"What I see is too many times, when kids get in trouble, parents will call me with concerns, (and) I find out they let their kids go to bed every night with their telephone. So they're texting, they're going online, they're getting contacts, and we never know really who those contacts are," Hudnall said.

Computers, like smartphones, provide opportunities for youths to come across pornography or make contact with online predators. It doesn't have to be a chatroom for grooming to occur, he said. Facebook, email and other communication mediums all have the potential for harmful activity.

"The big dangers are going onto sites where you're getting introduced to individuals," he said.

Hudnall says keeping computers in common areas of the home and checking cell phones helps families avoid "hidden moments" where children can encounter inappropriate content.

Overall, keeping children safe requires habits of communication, trust and follow-up from parents, he said.

"There will be a lot of parents who say, 'There's a level of trust with my child,' and I agree. There's a level of trust," he said. "But you've got to watch their behaviors and other things, and once in a while, check in."

Families can find more resources for online protection at utahcoalition.org.

Contributing: Devon Dolan

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