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SALT LAKE CITY — A registered sex offender who was about to be placed under arrest had to be tackled by numerous officers after they say he tried to make a run for the front doors of the sheriff’s office.
Brandon Albert Larson, 31, of Castle Dale, was arrested Monday and formally charged Tuesday in 7th District Court with 60 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; three counts of assault by a prisoner, escape and evidence tampering, all third-degree felonies; interfering with an arresting officer, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, all class B misdemeanors.
The investigation began in June when the Utah Attorney General’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified Emery County sheriff’s detectives of possible child pornography being uploaded to a cellphone. Detectives were able to trace that phone and another one back to Larson, according to a police affidavit.
On one phone, detectives found 49 pictures and 11 videos of child pornography with some victims as young as 3 years old, the affidavit states.
Larson is on the Utah Sex Offender Registry for being convicted of sex abuse of a child and attempted sex abuse of a child in 3rd District Court in 2009. He was sentenced in 2010 to serve a term of one to 15 years at the Utah State Prison, according to court records.
On Monday, Larson went to the Emery County Sheriff's Office to modify his sex offender registration form. When he arrived, a detective investigating the new allegations of child pornography requested to speak with him. The detective, who was with an FBI agent and a Bureau of Land Management ranger, informed Larson that he was under arrest and they had a warrant to search the phone he was holding.
“Brandon seemed calm but did not want to give his cellphone up. I continued to talk to Brandon longer, explaining to him he was under arrest and he would be booked on charges. Brandon then bolted out of his chair,” the affidavit states.
Investigators said Larson ran toward the entrance of the sheriff’s office, where he was tackled just outside the doors.
Brandon continued to resist while holding his cellphone in his hand attempting to break the phone.
–Police affidavit
“Brandon was pursued by numerous office personnel who assisted in controlling Brandon. Brandon was lying on his stomach with his arms under his chest. Brandon continued to resist while holding his cellphone in his hand attempting to break the phone,” the affidavit states, also noting that “it took six officers to prevent the escape, in the process ... at least three officers were assaulted.”
Larson was taken into custody and his phone and residence were searched, according to the affidavit.
