KEARNS, Utah — A Kearns man was arrested Thursday after a police investigation found he had sexually abused four boys over the course of 20 years. Police are asking for any additional victims to come forward.
Charles Sheldon Bates, 61, was booked into Salt Lake County Jail Thursday on 42 sex-based offenses, including Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child, and Forcible Sodomy.
Booking documents say the investigation began when they received reports from numerous victims alleging abuse, with the earliest incident occurring in 2006 when the first victim was 11 years old.
The first victim told police he had been used to produce child sex-abuse materials in Bates' home. The second and third victims reported years of ongoing sexual abuse, first starting when they were 11 and 13, respectively. The abuse occurred in Bates' home, a community pool family bathroom, and while on Boy Scouts' trips, with Bates being a scout leader at the time.
The fourth victim to come forward reported abuse that spanned from 2019 to 2020.
Over the course of the investigation, officers were provided multiple CDs containing a total of 134 images of children, including the four victims. 54 of the photos also contained children who were recognized by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Unified Police Department tells FOX 13 News there may be other victims they may not yet know about. Anyone who may have been a victim of Bates is asked to give them a call at their non-emergency dispatch number, 801-840-4000.
