- LDS positions: Missionary, Youth leader,
- Criminal case: Ongoing,
- Civil case: No civil case,
Case report
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.
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.
Case facts
- case report | facts | timeline | sources
- AKA Kent Backman
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Born: 1966
- LDS mission: United States - Ohio Akron 1985-1987
- During alleged crime/failure: Youth leader,
- When accused: Youth leader,
- Lived in: Ohio, Utah,
- During alleged crime, lived in: Utah,
- When accused, lived in: Utah,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Online,
- Latest update: March 2024: arrested, charged with 10 felony counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (sharing CSAM)
- Add information
Case timeline
- case report | facts | timeline | sources
- 1966: born
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- Mar 19 2024:
- Utah -
- Arrested
- (source)
Case information sources
- case report | facts | timeline | sources
- LDS Missionaries
- ELDER VAN WAGONER
- [Doe]-Van Wagoner
- Two people, including local salon owner, arrested on suspicion of sharing child pornography
Case information source details
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LDS Missionaries
Publisher: Davis County Clipper
Date: 19 Jun 1985
Archive.org
Source type: News article[mission announcement of the accused]
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view all information sources ELDER VAN WAGONER
Publisher: Davis County Clipper
Date: 25 Jun 1987
Archive.org
Source type: News article[mission release announcement of the accused]
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view all information sources [Doe]-Van Wagoner
Publisher: Salt Lake Tribune
Date: 12 Aug 1990
Archive.org
Source type: News article[Mormon temple wedding announcement of the accused]
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view all information sources Two people, including local salon owner, arrested on suspicion of sharing child pornography
Publisher: KSL TV
Date: 19 Mar 2024
Archive.org
Source type: News articleLAYTON — 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.
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