Summary
June 3, 2025: This is a recently filed case. FLOODLIT is seeking more information. Please contact us.
FLOODLIT obtained a copy of the police probable cause affidavit in this case.
Collin Hawkins was a Mormon church member and adjunct Russian professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho.
Hawkins went on an LDS church mission to St. Petersburg, Russia from November 2015 to 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile and a missionary blog.
In 2025, Hawkins was arrested on suspicion of 20 second-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The charges were all related to CSAM (child sexual abuse material), formerly often referred to as child pornography.
At the time Hawkins was arrested, he was listed as an adjunct Russian faculty member in the BYU-Idaho Department of Languages and International Studies.
Facts
- Criminal: Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Missionary,
- During alleged crime: Unknown position,
- When accused: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, 2024, in Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
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Born: 1997
- Mission: unknown
- Places: ever-russia, Idaho, Utah,
Sources
- The Russian Project,
- Collin Hawkins,
- Russian Faculty,
- Box Elder County man charged with 20 counts of sexual exploitation of minor,
- Professor arrested in Tremonton after police say he was in possession of child sexual abuse material,
- Probable cause affidavit,
- Out-of-state professor accused of 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in Box Elder County,
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1. The Russian Project
[Missionary blog with updates from Collin Hawkins in Russia, 2015-17]
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2. Collin Hawkins
Collin Hawkins
Russian Linguist | Owner @ Ready Set Go Languages | Founder and CEO @ YearSphere LLC
Rexburg, Idaho, United States456 followers 449 connections
Join to view profile
YearSphere
Brigham Young University - Idaho
AboutRussian Linguist | Adjunct Russian Professor | Translator & Interpreter | Entrepreneur
Passionate about language education, translation, and cross-cultural communication, I specialize in Russian instruction, translation, and interpretation while also running my own business, Ready Set Go Russian. As an educator and entrepreneur, I work hard to improve not only myself and my students but also the environment through responsible business practices.
As an Adjunct Russian Professor at Brigham Young University–Idaho, I teach Russian at all levels, developing customized learning tools and methodologies to accelerate language acquisition. My teaching philosophy is centered on adaptability, ensuring each student receives a tailored learning experience that meets their personal and academic goals.
Beyond education, I have over five years of experience in Russian-to-English translation and two years in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. My work spans diverse projects, from business documents and investor presentations to live interpretation in professional and community settings. Having lived and worked in Russia for over three years, I bring an immersive cultural perspective to my linguistic work.
Through Ready Set Go Russian, I develop innovative language-learning resources and personalized curricula to help students reach fluency while fostering a deeper appreciation for Russian culture. I am also committed to sustainable business practices that contribute to a better world.
Currently pursuing an M.A. in Translation and Interpretation (Russian) at Kent State University, I am always striving for growth—both professionally and personally. I welcome connections with fellow linguists, educators, and professionals who share a passion for language, learning, and making a positive impact. Let’s collaborate!
Experience
YearSphere
YearSphere1 year 6 months
Chief Executive OfficerDec 2024 - Present 7 months
United States
Co-FounderJan 2024 - Present 1 year 6 months
Rexburg, Idaho, United States
YearShpere LLC is dedicated to providing products that customers can use year-round that protect, improve, and protect the environment and bio-sphere.
Brigham Young University - Idaho Graphic
Professor of Russian
Brigham Young University - IdahoJan 2024 - Present 1 year 6 months
Rexburg, Idaho, United States
Owner
Ready Set Go RussianJan 2020 - Present 5 years 6 months
Tremonton, Utah, United States
Tailor personal education plans and personal curricula to meet the needs of each student
Create materials used in the education of my students
Test students periodically to show growth and improvement
Acclaim Technical Services Graphic
Junior Staffing Manager
Acclaim Technical ServicesApr 2021 - Jan 2024 2 years 10 months
Reston, Virginia, United States
• Currently creating new pipelines for finding linguistic candidates and HLT/NLP specialists
• Administer, grade, and transfer English tests
• Prepare and perform quality checks on candidate packets before submission to the Customer
• Updated candidate tracking system for a large program
• Improved productivity of administering and grading English tests by 350%
Lexica Centre of European Languages Graphic
English Teacher
Lexica Centre of European LanguagesOct 2018 - Jun 2020 1 year 9 months
St Petersburg City, Russia
• Instructed over 30 students
• Taught beginner-level speakers to upper-intermediate and advanced-level speakers
• Helped Advanced students pass the Unified State Exam (ЕГЭ)
Head Translator
Spacetime ChroniclesOct 2018 - Jun 2020 1 year 9 months
St Petersburg City, Russia
• Head translator for scripts, web content, and correspondence between project head and overseas clients
• Monitored, edited, and conducted quality control of Russian web content and translations
• Translated the full business plan from Russian into English
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Graphic
Interpreter
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsOct 2018 - Dec 2019 1 year 3 months
St Petersburg City, Russia
• Conducted simultaneous interpretation for large area conference (Eng – Rus)
• Conducted consecutive interpretation for regional leadership (Rus – Eng)
• Interpreted for 10+ congregation members (Rus – Eng)
• Conducted and participated in various service projects
• Taught English to Russian speakers
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Graphic
Volunteer
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsNov 2015 - Nov 2017 2 years 1 month
St Petersburg City, Russia
• Translated religious sermons and services into English and Russian to aid native and non-native communication
• Conducted simultaneous interpretation for regional leadership
• Taught English to Russian speakers
• Participated in many service projects in the community and throughout cities from Petrozavodsk to Kaliningrad
• Aided in digging wells, moving and remodeling apartments, and cleaning up cultural sites throughout St. PetersburgEducation
Brigham Young University - Idaho Graphic
Brigham Young University - Idaho
Associate's degree International/Global Studies 3.872019 - 2023
Languages
Russian
Limited working proficiency -
3. Russian Faculty
Collin Hawkins
Adjunct Faculty
haw20002@byui.edu -
4. Box Elder County man charged with 20 counts of sexual exploitation of minor
TREMONTON, Utah (KUTV) — A Box Elder County man has been charged with 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after police were notified of illegal content on a Kik account.
The man was identified as 27-year-old Collin James Hawkins, who police said was a professor in another state.
According to a probable cause statement, officials at Kik notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sex abuse material (CSAM) used on an account.
The initial information was first sent to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce, and then passed along when the account came back to Hawkins’ name and Tremonton address.
Investigators with the with the Tremonton Garland Police Department said they found several instances of CSAM on his account.
During surveillance of his home, officers discovered children lived or frequently visited the same place where Hawkins lived.
Officers executed a search warrant at his home Sunday evening. He was placed into handcuffs and asked if it would surprise him to learn that they were investigating possible CSAM, to which they said he was not.
Hawkins was taken to the police department for further questioning.
Police said they found two phones used by Hawkins, which they said contained additional CSAM files, depicting males from the ages of 3 to late teens.
Though Hawkins was charged with 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, the arresting officer said there were likely additional files and possible charges.
“If anything, I believe this is a generously underestimated amount,” he wrote in court documents.
Hawkins was booked into the Box Elder County Jail.
Officials did not disclose the name of the university where Hawkins worked as a professor.
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5. Professor arrested in Tremonton after police say he was in possession of child sexual abuse material
SALT LAKE CITY – A professor was arrested in Tremonton Sunday after deputies said he was in possession of numerous amounts of child sexual abuse material.
Collin James Hawkins, 27, was arrested on 20 second-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
“I believe this is a generously underestimated amount,” investigators said regarding the amount of child sexual abuse materials downloaded to Hawkins’ devices.
CSAM investigationAccording to police documents, social media and messaging platform Kik reported illegal content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Nov. 11, 2024.
The case was reportedly assigned to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which, using administrative subpoenas to Verizon, discovered the suspect’s name and address in Tremonton.
Then, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office was assigned the CyberTip in early January and confirmed some images to be child sex abuse material, police said.
Deputies said over several weeks, further evidence of CSAM was collected from the account, as additional cybertips were reported by Kik from accounts with similar usernames and IP addresses.
The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office said it obtained tracking warrants to identify the location of Hawkins and his “primary device.”
Deputies said they “also found that the suspect held a position of trust and was employed at an out-of-state university as a professor,” though it was not disclosed at which university he was employed.
While conducting surveillance, officers said they discovered children lived at or frequented the same residence that Hawkins did.
CSAM suspect arrestedOn Sunday, deputies reportedly obtained a residential search warrant and served it at approximately 6:15 p.m.
Hawkins was arrested and taken in for questioning, where he was interviewed privately upon request, police said.
Investigators told Hawkins they had evidence of CSAM, and “asked if that was surprising to him,” deputies said, “and he said that it was not.”
Post-Miranda, Hawkins reportedly remained silent and asked for an attorney.
Police said there were two phones taken during the search, and a video containing CSAM was discovered in a trash folder on his primary phone.
On Hawkins’ second phone, which he said was his old phone, police located a hidden folder which contained multiple photos and videos of CSAM, “the ages ranging from childhood to late teens.”
Deputies said there was substantial evidence to support the charges and said Hawkins would be a substantial danger to the community. Police noted he was likely to flee if the court released him on bail, as he frequently travels between two states and has a home in another state.
“Further, there are minor children present at the home in which he believes he would stay for supervision,” police said.
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6. Probable cause affidavit
[Excerpt; redacted by FLOODLIT. Warning: contains graphic content.]
On 11/19/2024 at 20:31:38 UTC, Kik reported the illegal content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC originally assigned the case to Idaho ICAC, who sent administrative subpoenas to Verizon and OptixMedia. The Verizon subpoena returned with the suspect's name and address in Tremonton.
On or about January 15, 2025, I was assigned CyberTip Number: [redacted] via the ICAC Database.
On 01/21/2025 I downloaded the case files onto a secure computer used only for ICAC cases, and confirmed at least some of the images to be child sex-abuse material (CSAM). A description of one image is as follows:
[redacted].mp4 is an approximately 13 second long color video showing an approximately 10-13 year old male child [redacted] an approximately 5-8 year old male child. Both children are [redacted] and appear to be lying on a bed. The camera is being operated by a third party.
[...]
Over the next several weeks I obtained the further evidence of CSAM from the Kik account, as well as obtained tracking warrants to identify the location of the suspect and his primary device. During this same time frame, I became aware of several other cybertips reported from Kik, alleging the same type of images all from similar usernames/emails/IP addresses of the original cybertip.
I also found that the suspect held a position of trust and was employed at an out-of-state university as a professor. During routine surveillance officers found that children lived and/or frequented the same residence that the suspect lived at.
On 06/01/2025, I requested and received a residential search warrant, that also included Collin Hawkin's person, and vehicle. At approximately 1815 hours, the warrant was served at the residence. Collin was placed in handcuffs and detained for questioning without incident. At his request I spoke with him privately, away from everyone else. I informed him I had a warrant for evidence of CSAM. I asked if that was surprising to him, and he said that it was not.At the police department, Collin was read Miranda, and invoked his right to remain silent and asked for an attorney. No guilt-seeking questions were asked.
Among the evidence taken from the search, there were two phones. These phones were reviewed by myself manually for an initial review to confirm if we had the correct suspect, after Collin provided his password.On his primary phone, during an initial manual review we found one video, which had been deleted and was in a temporary trash folder, the description is as follows:
The video was an approximately 6 second color video of a 13-15 year old male, [redacted].On the second phone, which he identified as his old phone, a hidden folder was located containing multiple videos and photos of nude males. The ages ranging from childhood to late teens.
One video located within a chat message on another app was an approximately 7 second color video of an adult male raping a male child between the ages of 3-5 years old[.]
Due to the amount of individual images/videos found between the phones, kik return, and chats, as well as the amount of children in each video, I informed him he was being arrested on 20- 2nd Degree felony counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. If anything, I believe this is a generously underestimated amount.
[...]
The suspect is in a position of trust, and is a professor at a university. He is known to travel between two states, frequently, and admitted to living in a home in another state while having his vehicle and drivers license still registered in Utah. Further, there are minor children present at the home in which he believes he would stay for supervision.
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7. Out-of-state professor accused of 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in Box Elder County
TREMONTON, Utah (ABC4) — An out-of-state university professor was taken into custody in Box Elder County on Monday, accused of 20 counts of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor.
The suspect, identified as Collin James Hawkins, 27, had allegedly downloaded several videos containing child sex abuse material (CSAM) onto two separate phones.
According to court documents, Kik, a messenger app, reported the illegal content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The case was originally assigned to the Idaho Crimes Against Children task force, but was later transferred to Utah after his name and address were found to be associated with a home in Tremonton.
Utah detectives conducted a search of the home on Sunday, June 1, and detained Hawkins for questioning. Hawkins reportedly asked to speak to an officer privately and was told they were serving a warrant for evidence of CSAM. When asked, Hawkins allegedly told officers that it was not surprising that they were there.
Hawkins was taken into custody but declined to speak with investigators any further and requested an attorney, according to court records. He was booked into the Box Elder County Jail on 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, but officers said they believe “this is a generously underestimated amount.”
While court documents did not disclose which university Hawkins taught at, records indicated he was an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho. In a statement to ABC4.com, the university confirmed that Hawkins was no longer an employee at the university.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Documents
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Criminal case documents
FLOODLIT has a copy of a related probable cause affidavit, but it is not currently available for download. Please check back soon or contact us to request an copy.Civil case documents
We do not know of any related civil cases, so no related civil case documents exist. If you have information that suggests otherwise, please contact us.