LOGAN — A 40-year-old Logan man has confessed to downloading child pornography. Daniel Cliff Torson is already serving a prison sentence on a prior conviction of aggravated assault and could now face further incarceration on the new crime.
According to court records, Torson participated in a motion hearing Wednesday, May 24, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He waived his right to a trial and accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony. As part of the agreement, prosecutors dismissed seven remaining charges.
Torson has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for thefts, child abuse, lewdness, possession of a controlled substance and other crimes. The cases have occurred during the past 21 years, going back to 2002.
The latest case was filed after federal investigators traced multiple files of child pornography to Torson’s electronic devices. The crimes occurred around June 2019.
The case has been pending for over two years after multiple trials were postponed previously while psychologists determined Torson was competent to stand trial. There had also been delays because he claimed his defense attorneys were failing to adequately represent him.
Torson remains in the Utah State Correctional Facility. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 25 and could face up to 45 years in prison.