Christopher Mark Taylor

Case report

• case report | facts | sources

Taylor was arrested in 2022 for having child porn in his Dropbox account and on his home computer.

According to FLOODLIT’s sources, Taylor may have agreed to work with law enforcement to locate other criminals in exchange for a lighter sentence.

As of February 2023, FLOODLIT is monitoring this case. Taylor’s case in Utah is still pending as federal charges are being evaluated.

Utah state court case: 221700099

Taylor was a registered pilot from 2012 to 2017 in Utah. License number: A5080921

—

A police probable cause statement in Taylor’s case reads in part:

“In April 2021, Dropbox reported that a user had uploaded child pornography to an account on their platform. In October 2021, ICAC officers obtained a search warrant for the reported account and found many of defendant’s tax and personal financial records, as well as hundreds of photos or videos of pre-pubescent children being raped or otherwise sexually abused. On January 12, 2022, ICAC officers executed a search warrant at defendant’s home. Behind a picture on a wall, they found an encrypted thumb drive that contained other child pornography, including a child-rape video. And on a device in the defendant’s home office, officers located the Dropbox account identifiers and the associated email, along with internet search terms consistent with child pornography.”

Another police statement reads:

“On January 12, 2022, as a Task Force Officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, I and various members of the task force executed a search warrant on Christopher Mark Taylor, his vehicle, and his residence at [address] in Farmington, Utah. During the search of the residence, in an office identified as belonging to and used by Christopher Taylor, internet searches were discovered as recently as within the past month, for things like pedophile and young girl sex.

An encrypted thumb-drive/external hard drive was also found hidden in a picture frame of a painting hanging on the wall of this office. This device was able to be decrypted, and it was observed that it contained videos of child pornography, including at least one video of a female child about six-years-old being vaginally raped by an adult male. In a tub underneath the computer desk in this office, male sex toys (devices used for male genitalia) were also located. Due to the large amount of electronics/computer devices, these items are still being processed for evidence as of 01/12/2022. Christopher’s Dropbox account and associated email address was located on his office computer.

[…]

Christopher would not give a statement/answer questions related to the case at this time.

[…]

As demonstrated in the Probable Cause Statement, Christopher Taylor had in his possession a significant amount of child pornography, depicting children as young as approximately 2 to 3-years-old being raped by adult males. This demonstrates a significant likelihood that he is sexually attracted to female children, between the ages of 2-years-old, and in the early years of puberty. Christopher has [a relative] in this target age range in this home with him. He also lives in a large residential neighborhood where I observed numerous children playing outside.”

—

from KSL on 2022-01-13:

“FARMINGTON, Utah — A Utah man was arrested on suspicion of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after police said they found videos in his home and on his Dropbox account of child sexual abuse, including rape.

On Wednesday, 42-year-old Christopher Mark Taylor of Farmington, Utah, was arrested for eight counts of exploitation, each a second degree felony. Farmington police, acting on a tip, obtained a warrant to search Taylor’s Dropbox storage account. Investigators found tax records and financial statements for Taylor, photos of his family and his driver license along with illegal files of graphic child pornography.

Police, in probable cause court documents, said they located 582 individual files of child sexual abuse. In the documents, police described some of the shocking video files that KSL TV has chosen not to detail, but that included sexual assault and rape of children estimated to be as young as 2 or 3. The names of the files made it clear what content would be included.

On Jan 5, police stood on the sidewalk in front of what was believed to be Taylor’s home and marked the digital networks available, all secured by passwords. Police also confirmed Taylor’s registration of the home’s utilities and found a car parked in the driveway was also registered in Taylor’s name at the same address. With the information, police obtained a warrant to search Taylor’s house.

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, a task force officer along with assistance from the FBI’s human trafficking division, executed a search warrant on Taylor, his car and his home in Farmington. Part of the search included a home office.

“An encrypted thumb-drive/external hard drive was also found hidden in a picture frame of a painting hanging on the wall of this office. This device was able to be decrypted, and it was observed that it contained videos of child pornography,” that includes at least one more video of child rape. In a “tub” underneath the office desk, a search found sex toys for men. Police said because of the “large amount” of electronics taken, the items are still being processed.

Investigators said the electronic storage previously searched had been accessed from the office computer.

Police also interviewed Taylor’s wife and searched her electronics and found no child pornography. She told police she wasn’t aware of his electronic storage and didn’t know how to use his Dropbox.

Taylor, according to police, would not give a statement or answer questions related to the case.

Court documents claim that with “substantial” evidence of the crimes, Taylor would be a danger to the community. Police observed “numerous children” playing outside his home.”