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OGDEN — A Weber County dentist who admitted to trying to sexually exploit a minor as a part of a plea deal in December was sentenced to 55 days of home confinement last week, according to 2nd District Court records.
Daniel Patrick Alston, 72, of South Ogden, was also placed on probation for the next 48 months after having a potential prison sentence suspended. He was also ordered to pay a $603 fine and register as a Group A sex offender and complete sex offender treatment, according to a sentence filed last Thursday.
In February 2018, he was originally charged with five counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and five more counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, each second-degree felonies after prosecutors alleged Alston had pornographic images of young girls on his home computer.
Charging documents also stated Alston had told the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force he had downloaded the images due to curiosity and the “forbidden’ nature of the material.’”
On Dec. 20, Alston pleaded guilty to five counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, each third-degree felonies. In the agreement, prosecutors dropped five other counts against him and amended the second-degree felonies to third-degree felonies. Prosecutors also recommended home confinement for Alston instead of a prison sentence at the time.
According to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, Alston still had a “limited active” dental license status in the state. Alston previously agreed to stop practicing as a dentist until his charges were resolved. It’s unclear if his licensing situation was resolved yet.
