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HEBER CITY — A Wasatch County Sheriff's Office employee and family therapist is facing 10 felony charges accusing him of giving a teenage boy nicotine in exchange for sex.
Mitchell McKee, 58, of Heber City, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with two counts of human trafficking of a child and two counts of forcible sodomy, first-degree felonies; two counts of forcible sexual abuse, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and enticing a minor, second-degree felonies; and dealing in harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony.
Late Monday afternoon, the assigned judge in 4th District Court in Wasatch County disqualified herself and ordered the case to be transferred to 4th District Court in Utah County to avoid any conflicts of interest.
At the time of his arrest, McKee was the administrative services director at the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office, a civilian position, as well as a licensed marriage and family therapist and a sex therapist, according to court documents.
The investigation began Jan. 4 when Heber police pulled over a car with a man and 15-year-old boy inside.
"During the stop, the (man) admitted he was with (the boy) for the purpose of sex and had promised (the boy) nicotine vape pens in exchange for sex," according to the charging documents.
The teen further told investigators he used an app to arrange to meet adults every other week in exchange for nicotine vapes. One of the adults he claimed to meet up with was McKee, the charges state.
"(He) said he had met 'Doug' multiple times. (He) said 'Doug' would pick (him) up and drive to either the rodeo grounds parking lot or near the Soldier Hollow Golf Course," the charges allege. "'Doug' would tell (the teen) to take (his) clothes off."
"Doug" was later identified as McKee, according to police.
After it was discovered McKee worked for the sheriff's office, the investigation was turned over to the Utah Attorney General's Office to avoid any potential conflict of interest. State investigators reviewed the boy's phone and found numerous chats indicating the boy and McKee had "met numerous times" as well as messages that "graphically described sexual activity between" them, according to the charges.
On March 20, agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force served a search warrant at McKee's home and placed him under arrest.
