Estimated read time: Less than a minute
ST. GEORGE — A St. George man now faces nearly a dozen first-degree felonies after detectives recovered videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children on his cellphone.
Hunter Thomas Phillips, 21, was arrested Monday following an investigation into a report that a man had been inappropriately texting and chatting with a 13-year-old boy.
When investigators arrived at the suspected location on South 3000 East, they encountered Predator Poachers, a civilian, Houston-based organization that conducts online sting operations to identify adults who seek out children for illegal sexual activities.
The organization's founder told detectives they had just confronted Phillips, who was suspected of chatting with someone he reportedly believed was the 13-year-old boy but was actually an undercover decoy, according to police.
