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SALT LAKE CITY — Federal charges were filed Friday against a man accused of arranging to meet with another man for the purpose of sexually abusing his infant child, according to prosecutors.
A criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court against Telmar Paul Lochridge, 31, of Salt Lake City, for charges of coercion of a minor for illegal sexual activity, distribution of child pornography and possession of child porn.
If convicted, Lochridge could serve a minimum-mandatory sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.
On March 24, members of the FBI Child Exploitation task force “conducted online undercover operations in an online forum directed at those who have a sexual interest in infants and toddlers,” according to charging documents.
Using the Kik app, Lochridge contacted an undercover FBI agent posing as a father of young girl who had a friend in Utah who was the father a young girl, the charges state. The Utah friend was fictitious.
During the course of the conversation, Lochridge sent the agent a video of child porn, according to the charges.
Related:
FBI arrests man accused of wanting to sexually abuse infant
A man who investigators say tried to arrange a meeting with another man for the purpose of sexually abusing his infant child was arrested in an undercover FBI operation.In April, Lochridge asked the undercover agent if he could meet his Utah friend, the charges state.
In May, Lochridge sent the same agent “a link that contained numerous files of adult males sexually abusing children,” according to the charges.
Lochridge was later told by the undercover FBI agent that his friend in Utah had access to his girlfriend’s 3-month-old boy. It was then that Lochridge expressed interest in the infant, the charges state.
They arranged for Lochridge to meet on June 19 for the purpose of having sex with the infant, the charges state. When Lochridge showed up at the designated meeting location, he was arrested.
“During an interview with the FBI, Lochridge admitted to meeting other people in the Salt Lake area with similar sexual interest in children,” according to a police affidavit.
