LOGAN — A 37-year-old Honeyville man is headed to prison for driving to Logan to have sex with an undercover police officer, posing as a teenage girl. Andrew Ren Holmes apologized to his family and claimed he was a changed man, before receiving the prison sentence.
Holmes was sentenced Wednesday, Aug. 14, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded guilty to in two cases, pleading guilty to attempted rape of a child, a first-degree felony; enticing a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor, both second-degree felonies.
According to prosecutors, Holmes began messaging a Logan City Police officer in November 2023. The officer was posing as a 13-year-old girl.
During the chats, Holmes “solicited the child persona for sexual activity,” court documents detailed. He also sent a pornographic photograph of a male’s genitals to the officer.
On Nov. 16, Holmes arranged to meet the undercover officer in person at a location in Logan. The defendant planned that they would engage in the previously discussed sexual activity in the back of his vehicle.
Police were waiting nearby the designated location and arrested Holmes without incident when he arrived. During questioning, he reportedly admitted to chatting with the officer and making arrangements to engage in “sexual activity with who he believed was a child,” arresting paperwork described.
During Wednesday’s sentencing, defense attorney Cameron Cox said his client accepted responsibility for what he did. He asked the court to consider giving credit for time already served.
Holmes read a letter to the court, calling his actions shameful and appalling. He claimed that he had been chatting with people online to help them with their problems. He said that on the day he was arrested, he drove to the park to break up with the supposed teenager.
Holmes asked the court to sentence him to probation instead of prison. He said that he and his family have lost everything, and he needed to be home to support his wife and children.
Judge Brian Cannell said there needed to be a price paid for Holmes’ choices. He ordered him to serve a term of three-years-to life at the Utah State Correctional Facility, allowing credit for the 272 days already served. It will be up to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to determine the exact length of incarceration.