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SALT LAKE CITY — A judge’s sentence of a Sandy man who pleaded guilty to owning 13,000 images of child pornography last week has garnered online backlash in recent days, but Utah State Bar officials said Tuesday that the sentence followed the state’s sentencing guidelines.
Douglas Eugene Saltsman, 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all second-degree felonies, on March 19. He was charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor on Dec. 9 when prosecutors alleged they found 13,020 child pornography images in Saltsman’s possession. The charges also stated that "disturbing videos of Saltsman engaged in sexual intercourse with several unconscious women were also located on the devices."
In the plea deal, Saltsman, who was the founder of a now-defunct cryptocurrency company, admitted to knowingly possessing "at least three images of child pornography that depicted sodomy and bondage, rape and sexual abuse of young prepubescent minors." He also agreed to spend 210 days in jail and 48 months of probation.
On Thursday, 3rd District Judge Douglas Hogan sentenced Saltsman to 210 days in jail with credit for 148 days served and four years of probation. All three second-degree felony counts include a prison sentence range of 1-15 years. That meant Saltsman could have faced a maximum of 45 years in prison, but Hogan suspended the prison sentence. Saltsman was also ordered to follow the state’s "Group A" sex offender guidelines and is not allowed to delete any browser history on any electronic devices he has access to.
The sentence garnered immediate online backlash. Cat Hoffman started an online petition to recall Hogan from the bench.
"I’m moving to petition to recall Judge Hogan immediately. This is not justice and these children deserve more from our justice system and the judge that handed down this sentence," Hoffman wrote.
As of Tuesday afternoon, an online petition to recall Hogan had 25,000 signatures.
However, Utah State Bar officials said Tuesday that Hogan followed the Utah’s Sentencing Commission guidelines for a second-degree felony against a first-time offender, which include 0-210 days in jail and 48 months probation. Officials said the commission consists of 27 members that include prosecutors, defense attorneys, legislators, police officers, judging and treatment professionals that establish guidelines for crimes.
"Utah’s judiciary is widely recognized as one of the finest in the country," Utah State Bar President Herm Olsen, said in a written statement. "It is guided by rules created with a significant amount of input from the public. It is designed to be fair and just for all."
