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TAYLORSVILLE — A 65-year-old man who allegedly claimed it's hard to tell the actual age of females was charged Friday with sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder.
Merrill Ross Jackson, of West Valley City, is charged in 3rd District Court with sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; and six counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and dealing in harmful materials to a minor, third-degree felonies.
The investigation began in November when a Taylorsville police officer reported finding Jackson and a 15-year-old girl in the back seat of a car.
"Jackson stated he was 'fooling around' with a 'friend,'" according to charging documents.
The girl told police she had been involved in a sexual "relationship" with Jackson for about a year starting when she was 14, according to the charges. Jackson allegedly told investigators that he had met the girl in 2021 on Tinder and that their friendship had grown into a "romantic relationship."
"Jackson stated it is hard to tell how old a girl is these days because of how they dress and (their) makeup," the charges state.
The girl, however, told police that after she had "accidentally" downloaded the Tinder app and met Jackson, they had conversations on Facebook "where she told him she was only 14 years old, and he told her he was OK with her age," the charges allege.
Prosecutors say Jackson "preyed" on the vulnerable girl and that he should be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
