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LAYTON -- A West Valley City police officer has been arrested for trying to meet a teenage boy for sex. That "boy" was really an undercover detective.
West Valley Police said there was nothing to indicate one of their own would be accused of a sex crime, but Officer Douglas Paulsen, a 19-year veteran with the West Valley City Police Department, is now on the other side of the law.
Tuesday afternoon, Layton police arrested the 41-year-old police officer at the Layton Hills Mall. Police say Paulsen went there to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old boy.
"Later, they were going to move to another location to engage in a sexual act," said Layton police Sgt. Jason Hinojosa.
The teen was actually an undercover officer assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force. The officer, posing as a teenager, responded to an Internet ad last month and began exchanging e-mails with Paulsen. Investigators said Paulsen sent the detective pornography.
"I'm sure the public would expect officers to be held to a higher standard," Hinojosa said.
Paulsen was a school resource officer at Hunter High School. West Valley Police said they don't think any students there were victimized.
"We don't have any reason to believe that there was any inappropriate activity that took place in relationship to his assignment as a school resource officer," said West Valley Assistant Police Chief Craig Black.
Paulsen is on paid administrative leave during this investigation. KSL News went to Paulsen's home Wednesday evening. A man who answered the door said neither he nor Paulsen had a comment on the investigation.
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Story compiled with contributions from Sandra Yi and Marc Giauque.
