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HEBER CITY — A Wasatch County Sheriff's Office employee has been arrested for alleged sexual crimes involving a minor.
Mitchell McKee, 58, the administrative services director for Wasatch County Sheriff's Office, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of human trafficking of a child, forcible sodomy, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticing a minor and dealing in materials harmful to minors.
Heber City police stopped a car in Wasatch County on Jan. 4 for a traffic violation. The adult driver admitted the 15-year-old juvenile in the passenger seat was with him "for the purpose of sex," a police booking affidavit says.
"The juvenile was promised nicotine vape pens in exchange for sex acts with the adult male," the affidavit says.
Police interviewed the teen at the Wasatch County Children's Justice Center, where they say he disclosed that he meets up with adult men for sexual favors in exchange for nicotine vapes. The teen explained he was meeting up with adults every other week, and he met them through a social media platform called Sniffies which is known for casual sexual hook-ups, the affidavit says.
The document went on to say the juvenile explained after he initially connected on social media, he would communicate with the adults over one of two other social media apps. He told police he met up with the man from the traffic stop and another who called himself Doug Gentry.
Police said during the interview, the juvenile told them he had sent nude photos to Gentry and had met up with him at the rodeo grounds parking lot, Soldier Hollow Golf Course and by the train tracks. He said Gentry would pick him up in a black Jeep, take him to a location and tell him to take off his clothes, the affidavit says; the juvenile also allegedly said he participated in sex acts with Gentry.
Heber City detectives searched the teen's cellphone and found messages between him and Gentry and located social media user information associated with Gentry. Through search warrants, detectives identified an IP address for Gentry and geolocated it to an address in Heber City where the subscriber was identified as McKee.
While investigating McKee, police found he has a black Jeep and matched a physical description the teen gave them of Gentry. The police booking affidavit says he is an employee at the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office and is a mental health counselor at a practice in Provo.
McKee is listed as a licensed marriage and family therapist on Whole Person Counseling's website and Covenant Sex Therapy's page. His biography on the Covenant Sex Therapy page says he is "skilled in treating sexual addictions, including concerns related to pornography, masturbation, hypersexuality, and pre- and post-mission sexual issues."
McKee was booked into the Davis County Jail.
A statement from the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office said McKee's job was a civilian non-certified position that oversaw three other non-certified employees, set appointments and processed citizen requests for reports.
"The severity and seriousness of the alleged offenses cannot be overstated," the office said in the statement.
The sheriff's office said it was unaware of McKee's allegations until he was arrested, and that he has been suspended until an investigation by the Utah Attorney General's Office is completed.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
