Alleged crime: 2020s, 
Alleged crime city:
St. George, - Alleged crime county:
Washington,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
- Alleged crime country:
United Sates,
"The investigation began June 24 as part of an operation led by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Utah County, according to a probable cause affidavit.Agents were working in an anonymous online chat room when a suspect began communicating with a decoy posing as a 17-year-old girl.Shortly after initial contact, the suspect allegedly moved the conversation to another unregulated platform, where he sent nude photos and sexually explicit videos and requested similar images in return. [...]During the investigation, agents discovered Kleiner was also communicating with another undercover officer in West Jordan posing as a 15-year-old. In that exchange, which began June 2, the suspect again allegedly sent explicit messages and images and made plans to meet in the Salt Lake City area but failed to show up on three occasions."June 24, 2026, He allegedly admitted to being attracted to younger girls and told the decoy the encounter was his “first time.” P.C. Affidavit, Michael Kleiner
Positions: Bishopric counselor, Stake clerk, - Mission:
Unknown country - - Alleged:
1,
- Alleged crime scenes:
online,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing,
- Alleged church actions: unknown,
updated Jul 17, 2026 - request update | add info
Alleged crime: 
Alleged crime city:
Alleged crime county:
Alleged crime state:
Alleged crime country:
Positions: 
Alleged:
Alleged crime scenes:
Michael Kleiner was a Mormon church member and Snow Canyon Middle School teacher. Kleiner was arrested and originally charged with 20 felony counts related to sexual abuse of a minor in St. George, UT.
On June 24, 2026 Kleiner chatted online with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Utah County, in a sting op, according to the P.C. Affidavit. Kleiner believed he was chatting with a 17-year-old minor.
Kleiner quickly turned the chat sexual in nature. “Shortly after initial contact, the suspect allegedly moved the conversation to another unregulated platform, where he sent nude photos and sexually explicit videos and requested similar images in return.” St. George News
The investigators contacted the Washington county sheriff’s office to receive help with the investigation, once Kleiner’s address in Ivins was confirmed.
During this time they learned that Kleiner was also being investigated for online chats with another undercover office, whom Kleiner believed to be a 15-year-old minor in West Jordan, Utah. This communication began June 2, 2026 “the suspect again allegedly sent explicit messages and images and made plans to meet in the Salt Lake City area but failed to show up on three occasions.” St. George News
Original charges:
6 counts: aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (first-degree felony)
13 counts: distributing harmful material to a minor-actor 18+ (third-degree felony)
1 count: enticing a minor (class A misdemeanor)
Formal charges:
one count: criminal solicitation of a minor (first-degree felony)
10 counts: distributing harmful material to a minor-actor 18+ (third-degree felony)
one count: enticing a minor (class A misdemeanor).
If you have any information about Kleiner’s LDS membership history please contact us.
Have any info on this case? Contact FLOODLIT.
Sources
- Snow Canyon Middle School teacher arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of minor,
- Mormon Apostle's Brother Pleads Guilty !,
- Michael Kleiner,
- Middle school teacher charged with sending sexually explicit content to undercover agents posing as minors ,
- More charges for Utah teacher allegedly soliciting teen girls online ,
- Utah middle school teacher accused of soliciting teens girls online ,
- SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH STATE OF UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. MICHAEL KLEINER CASE NUMBER 261908545 State Felony,
- SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH STATE OF UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. MICHAEL KLEINER CASE Case #261402591 ,
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1. Snow Canyon Middle School teacher arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of minor
A school profile photo of Snow Canyon Middle School teacher Michael Kleiner, 32, of Ivins.
Photo courtesy of Snow Canyon Middle School websiteA middle school teacher was arrested July 8, facing 20 felony charges following an online sting targeting suspected child exploitation.
Michael Kleiner, 32, of Ivins, was arrested in St. George and later booked into the Utah County Jail on six first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, along with 13 third-degree felony counts of distributing harmful material to a minor and one misdemeanor count of enticing a minor.
According to the Snow Canyon Middle School website, Kleiner was an ESL and study skills teacher at the school.
The investigation began June 24 as part of an operation led by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Utah County, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Agents were working in an anonymous online chat room when a suspect began communicating with a decoy posing as a 17-year-old girl.
Shortly after initial contact, the suspect allegedly moved the conversation to another unregulated platform, where he sent nude photos and sexually explicit videos and requested similar images in return.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Kleiner and confirmed his residence in Ivins with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Agents also determined Kleiner was employed as a teacher at a Washington County middle school.
According to the affidavit, Kleiner told the decoy he was “off for the summer working a retail job” but normally worked as a teacher. He allegedly admitted to being attracted to younger girls and told the decoy the encounter was his “first time.”
During the investigation, agents discovered Kleiner was also communicating with another undercover officer in West Jordan posing as a 15-year-old. In that exchange, which began June 2, the suspect again allegedly sent explicit messages and images and made plans to meet in the Salt Lake City area but failed to show up on three occasions.
Kleiner was arrested July 8 during a coordinated operation involving the St. George Police Department and agents in Utah County.
Utah Attorney General's Office ICACICAC Task Force. SECURE Strike Force, location and date unspecified.
Image courtesy of Utah Attorney General’s Office, St. George NewsDuring a post-arrest interview, he reportedly admitted to communicating with at least two underage individuals online, though he said he could not recall if there were others.
He reportedly told investigators he had been preparing over the last year as a first-year teacher and began using the chat platform during downtime, communicating with underage girls over the past two months.
According to the affidavit, he told investigators this behavior was a “one-time thing.”
St. George News reached out to Steve Dunham, communications director for the Washington County School District, who confirmed Kleiner was employed at Snow Canyon Middle School but that his employment has been terminated.
Following the arrest, Kleiner was transported to Utah County and booked into jail, while the case was forwarded to the Utah Attorney’s Office for review.
Investigators requested Kleiner be held without bail, citing the nature of the allegations and his position working with children. The request was approved and the suspect remains in jail without bail.
This report is based on statements from court records and police and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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2. Mormon Apostle's Brother Pleads Guilty !
Our lead story examines the guilty plea entered by the brother of a sitting LDS apostle, D. Todd Christofferson, in a child sexual abuse case.
We also cover:
• A Southern Utah active Latter-day Saint, bishopric counselor, stake clerk, and middle school teacher who has been charged with the sexual exploitation of minors.
• A new article asking why many gay Latter-day Saints choose to remain in the Church despite teachings that often place them in an impossible position.
• BYU Football's surprising new sponsorship deal with an energy drink company, and why some members see it as a notable cultural shift.
• Mitt Romney says 80 years old is simply too old to serve in public office. We'll discuss what that might mean for American politics and Church leadership.
• Another suspicious arson investigation in Rexburg raises fresh concerns after a series of similar incidents.
• A Church situation involving a "Asterisk Removal"Join us live as we separate fact from speculation, provide historical and psychological context, and explore the stories shaping Mormonism today.
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3. Michael Kleiner
Name: Michael Kleiner
Booking ID: 471056
Booking Date: July 8, 2026 2:07 PM
Age: 32
Gender: M
Race: White
Height: 5' 10''
Weight: 180 lbs
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Arresting Agency: Lehi PD -
4. Middle school teacher charged with sending sexually explicit content to undercover agents posing as minors
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A Washington County middle school teacher has been arrested for allegedly sending sexually explicit photos and messages to two undercover agents posing as teenage girls.
Michael Kleiner, 32, has been formally charged with criminal solicitation of a minor (first-degree felony), 10 counts of distributing harmful material to a minor-actor 18+ (third-degree felony) and one count of enticing a minor (class A misdemeanor).
He was originally arrested on six counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (first-degree felony), 13 counts of distributing harmful material to a minor-actor 18+ (third-degree felony) and enticing a minor (class A misdemeanor).
According to court documents, a Lehi Internet Crimes Against Children Detective was working as an undercover agent on an anonymous chat platform called ChatIB. A male reached out to the agent who identified himself as a “17-year-old girl”. The male said that he was “good with the age,” and proceeded to ask to move the conversation to a different chat platform.
As the conversation progressed, the suspect reportedly sent naked pictures of himself as well as sexually explicit videos of himself to the agent, who he thought was a 17-year-old girl. He also allegedly asked for sexually explicit images of the minor to be sent to him.
The agent was able to identify the suspect a Kleiner and found an address for him in Washington County. The agent also matched the photos that the suspect sent during their conversation with images on Kleiner’s Facebook page.
The agent then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office who confirmed that Kleiner was a resident of Washington County as well as a teacher at a middle school in the Washington county area.
ABC4.com has reached out to Washington County School District for comment but has not heard back at this time.
The Lehi agent continued the online chats with Kleiner and eventually set a day to meet. Kleiner called off the meeting the day prior to the arranged date, according to court documents.
Kleiner reportedly told the undercover agent that he had an attraction for younger girls but that he had never acted on them and that this would be his first time.
During the investigation of this case, the Lehi undercover agent became aware of a West Jordan undercover agent that was also engaging in conversation with Kleiner. That agent was posing as a 15-year-old girl. Kleiner was allegedly also sending sexually explicit messages and images to that agent and tried to set up three times to meet. Kleiner did not show up to any of these meetings.
The two undercover agents traveled to Washington County with other officers to arrest Klein. After the arrest, an interview was conducted where Kleiner allegedly admitted to chatting with “at least 2 under aged females online in a sexual manner,” according to court documents. Klein claimed that this “was a one-time thing and that he has never done anything like this before.”
Kleiner was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail where he is being held without bail.
He was originally arrested on six counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (first-degree felony), 13 counts of distributing harmful material to a minor-actor 18+ (third-degree felony) and enticing a minor (class A misdemeanor).
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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5. More charges for Utah teacher allegedly soliciting teen girls online
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-Michael Kleiner, 32, a Utah teacher, faces charges of soliciting minors online.
-All three "minors" were undercover officers posing as teenage girls.
- Prosecutors seek to hold Kleiner without bail.SALT LAKE CITY — A middle school teacher in southern Utah accused of soliciting a teen girl online is charged with soliciting two more girls. All three, however, were undercover officers, according to prosecutors.
Michael Kleiner, 32, of Ivins, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with enticement of a minor, a second-degree felony; six counts of distributing harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony; and enticement of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
On Friday, Kleiner was charged in 4th District Court with criminal solicitation of a minor, a first-degree felony; 10 counts of distributing harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony; and enticement of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
Kleiner was an English as a second language teacher at Snow Canyon Middle School.
The investigation began in June when Kleiner made contact with an undercover police officer in Utah County posing online as a 17-year-old girl, according to charging documents. Over the course of several days, Kleiner sent messages to the undercover officer and "discussed his desire to engage in sexual intercourse," according to the charges. "Throughout the conversation, (the) suspect sent numerous sexual photos and recordings to (the officer)."
After he was arrested, investigators learned that Kleiner had also been talking online to another officer posing as a 15-year-old girl in West Jordan.
According to his latest charges, Kleiner engaged in conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl over the course of several days "expressing his desire to engage in sexual acts," and also with another officer posing as a 15-year-old girl.
"Throughout the conversation, (Kleiner) sent numerous sexual photos and recordings" to the 15-year-old girl, the charges state. "Throughout the conversation, defendant Michael Kleiner told (the officer) his first name, where he lives, and that he is a teacher."
Kleiner never arrived for the planned meetings with the "girls," prompting investigators to go to his home in southern Utah to arrest him.
Prosecutors have requested that Kleiner be held in custody without the possibility of posting bail, noting that between the two cases, he "engaged in sexually explicit communications with at least three people he believed to be underage, as young as 13 years old. Throughout those chats, he engaged in sexually explicit conversation, he sent harmful material, he solicited the distribution of child sex abuse material, and he planned several times to meet up in person to engage in sexual activity with the minors."
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6. Utah middle school teacher accused of soliciting teens girls online
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Michael Kleiner, 32, a Utah teacher, was charged with soliciting a minor.
-He faces charges including solicitation of a minor and distributing harmful materials to a minor.
-Kleiner allegedly contacted undercover officers posing as teen girls in separate investigations.ST GEORGE — A middle school teacher in southern Utah has been arrested and accused of soliciting teen girls for sex.
Michael Kleiner, 32, of Santa Clara, was charged Friday in 4th District Court with criminal solicitation of a minor, a first-degree felony; 10 counts of distributing harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony; and enticement of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
Kleiner was listed on Snow Canyon Middle School's website and his own Facebook page as an English as a second language teacher. By Friday afternoon, his information had been removed from the school website.
The investigation began June 24 when Kleiner made contact with an undercover police officer in Utah County posing online as a 17-year-old girl, according to charging documents.
"Suspect indicated he was fine with (the) persona's age and moved the conversation to a different online platform. On the new platform, (the) suspect used the username, 'Spiff Kleinz,'" the charges state.
Over the course of several days, Kleiner continued messaging the undercover officer on Telegram and "discussed his desire to engage in sexual intercourse," according to the charges. "Throughout the conversation, (the) suspect sent numerous sexual photos and recordings to (the officer)."
Also, during their conversations, Kleiner said "he works as a teacher," the charges state.
Investigators learned that Kleiner is also a suspect in a similar case in West Jordan, where another officer posed as a 15-year-old girl, according to the charges.
Kleiner sent someone he thought was a teen girl in West Jordan sexual texts and inappropriate pictures of himself, a police booking affidavit states.
When he was taken into custody on Wednesday in southern Utah, Kleiner "admitted that he chatted with at least two underage female minors in a sexual manner," the charges state.
"Michael stated that he was only talking to the underage girls from Lehi and West Jordan because he believed that there was no way that he could meet with them," according to the affidavit.
Additional charges will be reviewed by West Jordan police, but the decision was made to arrest him this week.
"Because Michael is confirmed as a school teacher working with children of similar age ranges, it was decided to locate and physically arrest Michael. The risk to the community to have a person in a position of trust and care of children with a drive to cause the children to engage in sexual activities and have children send him child abuse materials was too great. To let a person with this type of sexual deviancy back into the public would only endanger society and all children."
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7. SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH STATE OF UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. MICHAEL KLEINER CASE NUMBER 261908545 State Felony
THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT - SALT LAKE COUNTY DISTRICT COURT
SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH
STATE OF UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. MICHAEL KLEINER
CASE NUMBER 261908545 State FelonyCHARGES
Charge 1 - 76-5-417(2)+(3AI) - ENTICING A MINOR - FIRST DEGREE FELONY SEXUAL ACTIVITY - 2nd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Attributes: Child.
Mandatory AppearanceCharge 2 - 76-5C-205(2)+(3BI) - DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINOR - ACTOR18+YRS - 3rd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance
Charge Subject To Minimum Mandatory SentenceCharge 3 - 76-5C-205(2)+(3BI) - DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINOR - ACTOR18+YRS - 3rd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance
Charge Subject To Minimum Mandatory SentenceCharge 4 - 76-5C-205(2)+(3BI) - DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINOR - ACTOR18+YRS - 3rd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance
Charge Subject To Minimum Mandatory SentenceCharge 5 - 76-5C-205(2)+(3BI) - DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINOR - ACTOR18+YRS - 3rd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance
Charge Subject To Minimum Mandatory SentenceCharge 6 - 76-5C-205(2)+(3BI) - DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINOR - ACTOR18+YRS - 3rd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance
Charge Subject To Minimum Mandatory SentenceCharge 7 - 76-5C-205(2)+(3BI) - DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINOR - ACTOR18+YRS - 3rd Degree Felony
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance
07-17-2026 01:42 PM Page 1 of 4
Charge Subject To Minimum Mandatory SentenceCharge 8 - 76-5-417(2)+(3C) - ENTICING A MINOR - THRID DEGREE FELONY SEXUAL ACTIVITY - Class A Misdemeanor
Offense Date: June 05, 2026
Location: Salt Lake County
Mandatory Appearance07-15-2026 INITIAL APPEARANCE/UTAH scheduled on July 17, 2026 at08:30 AM in FAC - S31 with Judge ARRAIGNMENT ARR
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8. SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH STATE OF UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. MICHAEL KLEINER CASE Case #261402591
Original charges filed...filed corrupted.
Documents
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