Utah EMT charged with buying gifts to entice boy into sex

Criminal charges were filed Wednesday against a member
of the Juab County EMS Department accusing him of forcible sodomy
and sexual abuse.

(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)


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NEPHI — A member of the Juab County EMS Department and county search and rescue team was charged Wednesday with 10 felonies accusing him of sexually abusing a teen boy several years ago.

Brian Vern Pierce, 49, of Nephi, is charged in 4th District Court with seven counts of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony; and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.

The investigation began in August when the alleged victim, who is now an adult, told authorities about abuse that began when he was a teenager in 2014 and continued for several years, according to charging documents.

Pierce "would buy gifts frequently for the victim to entice the victim to engage in sexual activity," the charges state.

A police affidavit filed when Pierce was arrested on Monday alleges that he also "placed fear" into the victim by threatening him if he told anyone about the abuse.

Pierce holds a position of trust in the community because of his EMT and search and rescue jobs, the affidavit states. The Juab County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that Pierce was placed on leave from search and rescue when the allegations were first raised in the fall. Pierce is not a certified law enforcer.

The case is investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation to avoid a conflict of interest.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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