Southern Utah man sentenced to 5 years for sexual abuse, grooming of teen

SALT LAKE CITY — A man from Washington County was ordered Wednesday to serve five years in prison with 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

James Steed Allred, 41, of Apple Valley, who is described as a former member of the polygamous Fundamentalist LDS Church, targeted a 14-year-old victim online who was living in North Dakota in April 2020, according to federal prosecutors.

In a statement to the court in advance of his guilty plea, Allred said that he used a fake online persona named Cameron Baxter to contact the girl.

Allred admitted to using a Snapchat account where he represented himself as a teenage boy living in Washington County. Allred said in the statement he used fake photos and engaged in “extensive romantic communications” with the girl, including saying he loved her and planned to marry her.

Allred sent gifts of clothing, flowers and furniture to the victim in an attempt to persuade the girl “to engage in illegal sexual activity” with him, Allred said in the statement.

The teen moved with her family to the border town of Colorado City, Arizona, and in April and May 2021, Allred traveled multiple times from Utah to Arizona to engage in illegal sexual conduct with the victim, according to federal officials. Allred said during this sexual relationship, he deceived the girl into believing he was a teenage boy.

In August 2021, the victim was at a family reunion when she saw the man she believed was 16-year-old Cameron Baxter, prosecutors said, according to a transcript of a court hearing. The teen was confused why he would be at her family reunion, when her family explained the man she recognized was actually Allred, who is also a relative, prosecutors said.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting minor victims from violent criminals who prey on their innocence via the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners we were able to investigate this case and seek justice for the victim as she continues to heal from the trauma inflicted by this crime.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that aims to combat the “growing epidemic” of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Allred was charged with four counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

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