LDS positions: Missionary, Youth leader, - During alleged crime: Youth leader,
- LDS mission:
United States - Ohio Akron 1985-1987 - Alleged:
10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Alleged crime scenes:
Online,
Criminal case(s): Ongoing, - AKA Kent Backman
updated Nov 13, 2025 - request update | add info
LDS positions: 
Alleged:
Alleged crime scenes:
Criminal case(s): 
Kurt Vanwagoner was a Mormon church member and returned missionary in Centerville, Utah.
In March 2024, Vanwagoner, 57, was arrested and charged with possession of and sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, online.
At the time of his arrest, police said Vanwagoner was working with young men in his LDS church ward.
Vanwagoner also talked in online chats about going to girls camp with his ward’s young women and mentioned how he felt sexually aroused while seeing them in their swimming suits while on the beach, according to a police probable cause affidavit obtained by FLOODLIT.
The affidavit says, “Kurt’s position of trust in his LDS Ward makes him a risk to the youth from his congregation. Some of his Reddit chats also talk about him secretly taking photographs of women in his Ward, during services, who are particularly attractive to him.”
In one online conversation, the accused coached a woman about how to have sex with her teenage son, the police affidavit said.
In other online chats, the accused talked about multiple underage girls undressing in front of him while trying on dresses, and about seeing those girls and their friends in swimming suits during outings, according to the affidavit.
The accused was booked into the Davis County Jail on Mar. 19 on ten (10) counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a child. He is being held without bail.
FLOODLIT is seeking information in this case. If you know Kurt Vanwagoner or have any information about this case, please contact us.
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Sources
- LDS Missionaries,
- ELDER VAN WAGONER,
- [Doe]-Van Wagoner,
- Two people, including local salon owner, arrested on suspicion of sharing child pornography,
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1. LDS Missionaries
[mission announcement of the accused]
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2. ELDER VAN WAGONER
[mission release announcement of the accused]
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3. [Doe]-Van Wagoner
[Mormon temple wedding announcement of the accused]
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4. Two people, including local salon owner, arrested on suspicion of sharing child pornography
LAYTON — Two Davis County residents were arrested on Monday and Tuesday after a months-long investigation showed images containing child sexual abuse material being sent between two accounts, according to a police affidavit.
On Nov. 29 2023, the Centerville Police Department was alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a Snapchat user possessing child sex abuse material, the document states.
During the months-long investigation, officers tracked down Kurt VanWagoner, 57, and Lindsay Cantwell, 40, both residents of Davis County, and built the case against them.
VanWagoner was said to have communicated with Cantwell primarily through Snapchat, where the pair would “comment on the images as they (were being shared),” according to the document.
As the investigation progressed, Centerville police discovered that Cantwell was the owner of a hair salon in Layton, where the Snapchat account associated with Cantwell “took nude photographs while at her workstation inside (Cantwell’s Salon),” the document states.
VanWagoner was arrested on Tuesday after returning from a business trip, according to the affidavit. In phone interviews, he “eventually admitted to knowing that he was viewing and sharing (child pornography) with other users on (social media).”
Cantwell was arrested on Monday, and “did not deny that the images were viewed by her or that she commented on them,” according to the affidavit.
Kurt VanWagoner was booked into the Davis County Jail on ten charges of aggravated sexual exploitation of a child, a first-degree felony.
Lindsay Cantwell was also booked into the Davis County Jail on ten charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
Documents
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Criminal case documents
Floodlit does not have a copy of a related probable cause affidavit. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Civil case documents
Floodlit does not have a copy of a related civil complaint. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Other documents
Floodlit does not have a copy of any other related documents. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for some.Timeline
- 1966Born
- Mar 19 2024Arrested(source)
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