Nibley man gets prison time for sexually exploiting minors, forging documents

LOGAN — A man who initially faced 22 charges related to sexually exploiting children and 15 forgery charges will serve a minimum of a year in prison.

Fredy Danilo Argueta, 54, of Nibley, in Cache County, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all second-degree felonies, according to 1st District Court records. He also pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor by internet or text, a third-degree felony.

In exchange for his pleas, prosecutors dropped the remaining 18 charges: seven additional counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, five additional counts of enticing a minor by internet or text, and six counts of dealing in materials harmful to minors — all third-degree felonies.

Court records show Argueta was also charged in a separate case with 15 counts of possessing forgery writing or devices, third-degree felonies. Records show he pleaded guilty to one count in October 2022 and the remaining charges were dismissed.

On Tuesday, Judge Angela Fonnesbeck sentenced Argueta to three terms of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for the sexual exploitation charges, one to five years for the enticement charge, and zero to five years for the forgery charge.

All sentences will run concurrently, court documents state. Argueta was also given credit for 391 days already served. Court records note that he has a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.

Argueta was arrested in November 2021. The investigation began the previous month when members of the Internet Crimes Against Children task force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone was sending suspected child pornography to others through Facebook.

"Facebook data revealed that the suspect account engaged in numerous chats with other Facebook users who identify themselves as minors. The suspect account identifies himself as a 21-year-old male. The suspect engages in sexually explicit conversations with many other minor Facebook users and obtains pornographic content from them," according to a police booking affidavit. "The user is also part of a group chat in which pornographic content is shared."

Task force agents said they developed information that the user was Argueta and on Oct. 23 served a search warrant at his residence. A tablet seized by investigators belonging to Argueta was found to have child pornography on it, the affidavit states.

"Furthermore, Fredy contacted at least six minors — identified by their own messages stating their age — and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them. He would request pornographic material from them and/or solicit them in a sexual manner. He also would send pornographic images to them," according to the affidavit. "Fredy actively and regularly posed as a 21-year-old male on the internet in order to sexually exploit minors."

During their investigation, police also found several forged Social Security cards and other documents in his room, the affidavit alleges.

"Seven false Social Security cards, four false permanent resident cards, one false employment authorization card, one false California driver's license, one false Utah identification and a false birth certificate from Puerto Rico" were seized, police wrote in the affidavit.

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