LOGAN — A 21-year-old Utah State University student has been arrested for allegedly using a popular social media app to download child pornography, according to law enforcement. Elijah Benjamin Maddocks was booked Tuesday, Feb. 13, into the Cache County Jail.

According to an arrest affidavit, Logan City Police officers received a cybertip from Snapchat in December 2023. The messaging app claimed a user had uploaded a file that later was determined to be child sexual abuse material.

Police obtained a warrant to search the Snapchat account that was registered to Maddocks. They found multiple images of female children between the ages of 6 and 16-years-old. The girls were nude or partially clothed, and engaged in various sex acts.

Several chats were also located between Maddocks and teenage individuals. The chats were allegedly sexual in nature and often about exchanging naked images, the probable cause statement detailed.

Logan police contacted the Utah State University Police Department, who confirmed there was an Elijah Maddocks attending the school. Officers arrested the suspect as he was exiting his apartment on Tuesday.

During questioning, Maddocks allegedly admitted to viewing and possessing child pornography. He said, he was curious about children and age did not matter to him. He later confessed to sharing “several hundred” files of child sexual abuse material with other people online, court documents stated.

Maddocks was arraigned Wednesday, Feb. 14, during a virtual hearing in Logan’s 1st District Court, appearing by web conference from jail. He was charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, a first-degree felony; 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and 7 counts of enticing a minor, both second-degree felonies.

Cache County Deputy Attorney Griffin Hazard said the crimes were “serious felony level offenses.” He asked the court to hold Maddocks in jail without bail, stating the suspect was a danger to young children in the community.

Judge Brian Cannell ordered Maddocks to remain in jail while attorneys review evidence in the case. He ordered him and appear again in court Feb. 26.

Maddocks is reportedly from the Salt Lake area. He could face up to life in prison, if convicted.

Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.







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