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OREM — An Orem man was arrested after police say he lured children into his home and took pictures of children in the bathroom and other rooms.
David Richards, 54, was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of lewdness involving a child, forcible sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation of a child. A bail hearing was held Monday and bail was set at $50,000, Orem Police Sgt. Craig Martinez said.
He had a badge, he had uniformed shirts in his house that looked similar to what a police officer would wear. He even had emergency lights in his personal vehicle.
–Craig Martinez
Richards would allegedly lure neighborhood children into his home with candy, small gifts and drinks and would at times pose as a police officer, Martinez said.
"He had a badge, he had uniformed shirts in his house that looked similar to what a police officer would wear," Martinez said. "He even had emergency lights in his personal vehicle."
Once inside his home, Richards would allegedly continue offering drinks to the children until they needed to use the bathroom, where he had set up hidden cameras to capture video and photographs, Martinez said. Detectives seized computers and cameras from Richards' home from which officials have so far identified 10 victims, although Martinez said there are dozens of victims yet to be identified. The victims range in age between 6 and 10 years.
Richards lives in a four-plex home at 49 E. 1100 South in Orem. The neighborhood, the sergeant said, has many apartments and many children reside in the area. Richards has lived there for 17 years and Martinez speculated that given the high turnover of apartment residents, it is likely that victims have come and gone throughout the years.
Authorities were first made aware of the situation when a woman, who was visiting someone in the neighborhood, noticed Richards talking to a young girl from behind a tree and began asking around. After becoming suspicious, she contacted police, who interviewed residents in the area about Richards' activities and issued a search warrant for his home.
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