Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man is facing numerous criminal charges accusing him of driving around looking for young children to lure into his car to sexually abuse them.
Much of the evidence collected against Adam Samuel Hackerman, 24, was found on videos he recorded himself on his cellphone, according to charging documents.
"Videos and images located on Hackerman's phone document Hackerman's intent to kidnap and sexually abuse young prepubescent children," the charges state.
Hackerman, who is already a registered sex offender from a 2019 conviction, was charged Monday by the Utah Attorney General's Office with criminal solicitation of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and criminal solicitation of child kidnapping, both first-degree felonies; and three counts of lewdness involving a child, a third-degree felony.
In 2019, Hackerman was convicted of two counts of sexual exploitation of minor. He received a prison sentence, but it was suspended and he was placed on probation. In that case, Hackerman sought out young girls on social media and sent sexually explicit pictures and videos to them.
In July, agents from Adult Probation and Parole were doing a routine checkup on Hackerman at his residence when they reported noticing "a cellphone barely sticking out of a garbage bag near the bedroom door."
Hackerman originally claimed it was someone else's phone, according to the agents, but they told him they didn't believe him because of how nervous he was acting. Hackerman then refused to give the agents the passcode to unlock his phone screen, but an agent was able to guess it on his third try, according to the new charging documents.
"Hackerman then admitted the phone belonged to him, stating, 'There is a lot of bad stuff on there and you should just take me immediately to prison.' He also made comments that his 'mind is sick,'" the charges state.
Agents looking through the phone found what they described as an "extremely disturbing video." The video was recorded by Hackerman from inside his car, and he appears to be trying to lure a young girl to get inside, the charges state. The passenger door is open and Hackerman's genitals are exposed in the video, according to investigators.
"Here, come here," he allegedly tells the girl. "Wanna go see a puppy?"
Other children can be heard in the background of the video. Hackerman then appears in the video to be concerned about something off screen and tells the girl he is going to leave now and quickly speeds away, the charges state.
Investigators noted in the court documents that a search of Hackerman's phone "found multiple images depicting similar behavior." In one video, Hackerman is allegedly sitting in his car in a residential neighborhood with his genitals exposed as he records a young boy and girl nearby.
Agents also found a PDF of the Granite School District's 2020-21 school calendar in Hackerman's files, which shows all the days when children would not be in school, the charges say. Hackerman does not have any children.
Prosecutors have requested Hackerman be held without bail pending trial.
"Hackerman actively sought out and then preyed on young children for his own deviant sexual gratification. Hackerman's conduct causes harm to children," the charges state. "Hackerman's criminal conduct has escalated since his conviction in 2019."
