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LEHI — A member of the Utah National Guard has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a young boy.
Derek Michael Whitney, 43, of Eagle Mountain, was charged Friday in 4th District Court with two counts of attempted sodomy of a child, a first-degree felony; and enticement of a minor, a second-degree felony.
Whitney was booked into the Utah County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of the crimes. The probable cause affidavit notes that Whitney "was arrested without incident while in his vehicle."
"At the time of his arrest, Derek was a member of the Utah National Guard and maintained a Top-Secret Security Clearance," the affidavit states.
Starting about May 6, the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force began investigating Whitney, who was trying on an undisclosed app "to meet and sexually abuse a purported 8-year-old boy. Derek was communicating with someone who was believed to be the father of the 8-year-old boy. Derek stated he wanted to perform specific sex acts with the 8-year-old boy," the affidavit states.
Whitney was actually talking to an undercover agent who arranged to meet him in Lehi, allegedly for the purpose of meeting the boy. When Whitney arrived, he was taken into custody.
"Derek also discussed in the communications with the notional father his desire to sexually abuse other minor children," according to the affidavit.
Contributing: Ivy Farguheson
