LOGAN — A 23-year-old Magna man has been sentenced to prison for driving to Cache Valley to attempt to have sex with a 9-year-old girl last year. Jesus Garcia was ordered to serve a term of 11-years-to-life, after a judge said the defendant should never be around children.
Garcia was sentenced Mar. 10 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to attempted sodomy on a child, a first-degree felony; and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
According to prosecutors, Garcia began communicating with a Logan City Police officer in January 2024. The officer was posing as a father of a 9-year-old girl.
Garcia messaged the undercover officer, expressing a desire to rape the young girl. The messages included graphic depictions of what the defendant wanted to do.
On Feb. 7, Garcia made arrangements to drive to Logan to carry out his plans with the officer and the supposed little girl. Police gave the Magna man an address to meet at and asked for him to bring a gift for the child.
At the designated time, a man pulled up to the undercover officer’s vehicle and introduced himself as Garcia. The officer asked the man if he wanted to follow him to his home where the girl was waiting and Garcia reportedly said “yes.”
Nearby officers then surrounded the vehicle and took Garcia into custody. They later searched the car and found a pink stuffed animal in the trunk. A receipt showed it was purchased the day before.
During questioning with investigators, Garcia admitted to chatting with the undercover officer and driving to Logan to engage in sexual activities with the 9-year-old girl. He also said he bought the stuffed animal as a gift for the child.
Garcia also acknowledged to chatting with other underage minors in the past year and receiving naked photographs from a 16 or 17-year-old girl. A search of his phone later uncovered several images of child pornography.
During Monday’s sentencing, Garcia said he was deeply sorry and disgusted with his behavior. He explained how his addiction and mental health had led him down the path he was on.
Earlier, Cache County Deputy Attorney Joshua Nemeth said the details of the case were absolutely depraved. He called Garcia a “pedophile,” and expressed concern that the defendant was beyond rehabilitation.
Judge Spencer Walsh said there is a “real problem with the sexual exploitation of minors in our community and the country.” He expressed gratitude to the Logan City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, “who wade into the cesspool” to catch child predators.
Judge Walsh said it was difficult to hand down such a harsh sentence, considering the defendant’s young age. He echoed Nemeth’s concerns, telling Garcia, “You should not have children or ever be allowed around them.”