Estimated read time: 2-3 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
PROVO — A Springville man who admitted to sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy, and paying him to keep quiet, along with having child pornography, has been sentenced to prison.
Kevin Sykes, 56, was sentenced Nov. 20 to five years to life in prison for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony; three years to life in prison for attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony; and one to 15 years in prison for two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, all second-degree felonies.
Fourth District Judge Sean Petersen recommended that all of the sentences run concurrently.
Sykes was charged with abusing a young boy for years, beginning when the boy was 10, and giving him as much as $15,000 to keep quiet about the abuse. Police said Sykes claimed to be "mentoring" the child and had a position of trust over him.
During one incident in 2019 when the boy told Sykes to stop because he did not like it, Sykes told him, "'Too bad,' and, 'I'm paying you money not to say anything,' and kept doing it," charging documents state.
The investigation into Sykes began after his employer reported suspected child pornography on his phone. Charging documents said Sykes was a youth adviser in his church and interacted with boys in the same age range as children found in the pornography.
Sykes pleaded guilty Feb. 9, but he soon asked to withdraw that plea, leading to a delay before the sentence. The man claimed in his motion to withdraw his plea that he was unable to speak to his attorney except for right before the plea was entered. He said he did not understand his guilty plea.
"He only agreed to enter his plea because he believed he had no other option and his attorney had not explained everything to him," the motion said.
However, the judge said Sykes certified he had read and understood the plea both in a written statement and in person in court when the plea was entered, and the attorney visited him three times before the plea. He denied the motion to withdraw the plea.
