Stephen Henry McKean

Sources

1. BYU professor charged, accused of messaging, sending explicit photo to undercover agent posing as 17-year-old girl, East Idaho News, April 22, 2026.
2. BYU professor arrested after allegedly sending explicit photos to agent disguised as teen girl, The Salt Lake Tribune, April 23, 2026.
3. BYU professor arrested after allegedly sending explicit photos to agent disguised as teen girl, Fox 13, April 22, 2026.
4. BYU professor arrested on suspicion of enticing a minor, KSLTV, April 22, 2026.
5. BYU Professor Arrested For Child Sex Crimes, Mid-Utah Radio, April 23, 2026.

• 1. BYU professor charged, accused of messaging, sending explicit photo to undercover agent posing as 17-year-old girl

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  • East Idaho News

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  BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A Brigham Young University mathematics professor has been charged after allegedly messaging and sending an explicit photo to an officer posing as a 17-year-old girl.

  Stephen Henry McKean, 32, has been charged with distributing material harmful to a minor (third-degree felony), and three counts of enticing a minor (class A misdemeanor).

  According to court documents, McKean allegedly messaged an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children agent who was posing as a 17-year-old girl. McKean reportedly continued to communicate with the agent, despite knowing that the person he was talking to was supposedly 17 years old and even expressed concerns that it was illegal.

  Nevertheless, according to court documents, McKean continued to speak with the supposed 17-year-old and talked about the possibility of meeting up for sexual acts. McKean allegedly described sexual acts he wanted to engage in to the ’17-year-old’ in “graphic detail.”

  He even messaged the agent posing as a 17-year-old, “You’re going to make me like you better than my wife,” according to court documents.

  At one point, McKean reportedly sent an explicit photo of himself to the agent, still believing it was to a 17-year-old girl. He quickly deleted the photo, but the agent was able to save it, according to court documents.

  Court documents confirm that McKean is a professor at Brigham Young University and also a Sunday School teacher. ABC4 has reached out to BYU for a statement but has not heard back.

  McKean was arrested and booked into jail. He has since been charged in the First Judicial District Court in Box Elder County.

  His initial appearance in court is scheduled for April 27, 2026.

• 2. BYU professor arrested after allegedly sending explicit photos to agent disguised as teen girl

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  • The Salt Lake Tribune

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  A Brigham Young University assistant professor was arrested after allegedly sending messages and explicit photos to an officer undercover as a 17-year-old girl.

  Stephen Henry McKean, 32, was arrested for two charges of enticing a minor and distributing material harmful to minors.

  Court documents state that McKean messaged the agent, holding sexually explicit conversations, understanding the party was a minor, before sending explicit photos of himself.

  Read the full story at Fox13now.com.

  The Salt Lake Tribune and Fox 13 News are content-sharing partners.

• 3. BYU professor arrested after allegedly sending explicit photos to agent disguised as teen girl

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  • Fox 13

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  UTAH COUNTY, Utah — A Brigham Young University assistant professor was arrested after allegedly sending messages and explicit photos to an officer undercover as a 17-year-old girl.

  Stephen Henry McKean, 32, was arrested for two charges of enticing a minor and distributing material harmful to minors.

  Court documents state that McKean messaged the agent, holding sexually explicit conversations, understanding the party was a minor, before sending explicit photos of himself.

  During the conversation, he had stated that he was an assistant professor at a university. Investigators were able to identify him, arrest him and book him into jail.

  Brigham Young University has released the following statement:

  "Stephen McKean has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately. We condemn abuse in any form, and the university will fully cooperate with law enforcement as this investigation moves forward. We are committed to offering support to any students who might be affected by this news."

• 4. BYU professor arrested on suspicion of enticing a minor

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  • KSLTV

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  SALT LAKE CITY — A Brigham Young University professor has been arrested and placed on administrative leave after he was accused of inappropriately messaging an individual he believed to be a minor.

  According to a police affidavit, Stephen McKean, 32, messaged an undercover officer posing as a 17-year-old girl. After the officer replied, saying they were 17, McKean continued the conversation, which became sexual in nature. Eventually, McKean sent an explicit picture of himself to the officer, according to the affidavit.

  McKean is a professor at BYU and has since been placed on administrative leave. The school released the following statement Wednesday:

  “Stephen McKean has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately. We condemn abuse in any form, and the university will fully cooperate with law enforcement as this investigation moves forward. We are committed to offering support to any students who might be affected by this news.”

  McKean has been arrested on suspicion of enticing a minor and distributing material harmful to a minor.

  This story may be updated.
  Other reading: Printing a leg: BYU students test 3D-printed prosthetics
  Child abuse resources:

  Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

  Help with Children

  Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:

  The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
  Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
  The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
  The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child’s mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.

  CSAM Prevention Resources and Victim Recovery:

  The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides support to children who are victims of child sexual exploitation through emotional peer support for families, content removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and help getting connected to therapists and attorneys. The NCMEC also provides a CyberTipline where CSAM can be reported. Visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources for more information.
  The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force hosts a hub of resources for parents and offers local help to cases involving child sexual exploitation.
  RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides a guide of safety measures to take in order to prevent children from being targeted in CSAM cases.
  Thorn nonprofit organization creates products and programs that combat child sexual abuse at scale. It provides resources for families to help them identify the possible ways children can be exploited online, giving them proper terminology and statistics to keep them educated. For more information, visit https://www.thorn.org/research/child-sexual-abuse-material-csam/

  Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

• 5. BYU Professor Arrested For Child Sex Crimes

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  • Mid-Utah Radio

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  (Provo, UT) — A BYU professor who also teaches Sunday School is under arrest for alleged child sex crimes. The Box Elder County Attorney’s Office says the suspect interacted with an undercover agent who posed as a 17-year-old. Stephen Henry McKean is now facing one charge of suspicion of distributing harmful material to a minor and two counts of enticing a minor. Prosecutors say he sent pictures and engaged in sexual conversations while thinking he was talking to an underage girl.