SALT LAKE CITY — A former Utah judge was sentenced Monday to consecutive prison terms after pleading guilty to targeting and exploiting children online.
Kevin Christensen was sentenced June 8 to three consecutive terms of zero to five years behind bars. The sentencing marks the conclusion of a sprawling investigation by the FBI and state authorities that uncovered thousands of predatory online communications.
Christensen pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony counts of dealing in material harmful to a minor and one third-degree felony count of enticement of a minor. Prosecutors from the Office of the Utah Attorney General successfully argued for the maximum allotted sentence.
The extensive criminal probe into Christensen uncovered a disturbing connection with Ned Brady Hansen, the former fire chief of Tremonton City. According to charging documents, the two high-profile public officials maintained a sexual relationship and communicated extensively prior to their simultaneous arrests in January 2025.
Investigators discovered that Christensen and Hansen utilized the digital messaging application Kik to coordinate and discuss child sexual abuse material. A thorough forensic review of Christensen’s digital footprint revealed multiple highly concerning chat threads. In one specific instance on Nov. 2, 2024, police reported that Christensen communicated with a user claiming to be a 13-year-old girl. During that exchange, the former judge reportedly engaged in graphic, sexually explicit conversations with the child and transmitted a graphic video to her.
Investigators revealed that the former judge also sent explicit images to a 16-year-old, and solicited additional explicit material directly from them. Authorities also discovered that Christensen had taken images of children from his own family and his church congregation, which he then sent to other adults on the internet.
Utah Attorney General Derek Brown condemned the former judge’s actions following the sentencing.
“Kevin Christensen was a sitting judge. He swore an oath to uphold the law,” Brown said in a statement. “Then he sent explicit images to a 13-year-old, solicited more from a 16-year-old, and left thousands of predatory messages behind. Today he is a convicted felon. No one is above the law, and this office will keep proving that.”