- Lance Aaron Putnam, a nurse at a pediatric hospital, was arrested Tuesday.
- He was booked for investigation of possessing child sex abuse material.
SALT LAKE CITY — A man who police say works as a nurse at a pediatric hospital has been arrested and accused of possessing child sex abuse material.
Lance Aaron Putnam, 28, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday for investigation of 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and obstruction of justice.
The investigation began in January when a social media company filed a cyber tipline report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding an account that uploaded and distributed suspected child sexual abuse material. The report was forwarded to the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
"Pursuant to several search warrants and court orders, the owner of the ... account was reported as Lance Putnam, residing in the Salt Lake County area," according to a police booking affidavit.
On Tuesday, a search warrant was served at Putnam's residence, where, after being detained, he admitted to sending and receiving child sex abuse material using several social media platforms, the affidavit alleges.
"Lance admitted he has an addiction and had last viewed child sex abuse material a few days ago," the affidavit states. "After officers knocked on Lance's door, Lance destroyed his phone and hid it in an attempt to hide any evidence."
Putnam has been viewing such items for a couple of years, according to the affidavit, and "admitted to distributing child sex abuse material thousands of times."
Police also noted that Putnam "is currently employed as a nurse at a pediatric hospital and has access to children who are the same age as the children in the child sex abuse material he distributed."
The Utah Attorney General's Office has requested that Putnam be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending the filing of formal charges.
