LOGAN — A 20-year-old Providence man has been placed on home confinement for seven months after being convicted of downloading child sexual abuse material. Samual Dayton avoided jail time after a judge expressed concern that placing him in jail could increase the likelihood of him committing more crimes in the future.
Dayton was sentenced Jan. 13 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading “no contest” to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
The plea meant Dayton conceded the alleged crime occurred without admitting guilt or offering a defense. It is still viewed as a guilty plea in court.
According to prosecutors, deputies began investigating Dayton after he was tracked downloading child sexual abuse material. The crimes reportedly occurred in December 2023. He was briefly booked into the Cache County Jail and later released under pretrial supervision.
During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Shannon Demler described Dayton a “very religious” young man who got on a slippery slope viewing pornography. He argued for a lighter sentencing, explaining how the defendant was a “hard working kid,” with no criminal history.
Dayton said he regretted the whole situation. He told the court, he was trying to make sure nothing like this ever happened again.
Cache County Deputy Attorney Dane Murray said a jail sentence was merited based on the graphic nature of the material Dayton was viewing.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck said the community does not tolerate crimes like Dayton’s that creates young victims. However, she expressed worry that sending the defendant to jail could cause him to commit more crimes in the future.
Dayton was ordered to serve 210 days of home confinement, meaning he will only be able to leave his residence for work or therapy. He was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.