LOGAN — A 65-year-old Wellsville man has been placed on probation for reportedly downloading child pornography. Joseph Boyd Jensen was also ordered to have no contact with children, after a judge said he needed to protect society from the defendant.
Jensen was sentenced June 9 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded “no contest” to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, amended to a third-degree felony.
According to prosecutors, Cache County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating Jensen after he left a voice mail on a probation agent’s phone in May 2024. On the message, the Wellsville man is heard asking for “Suzie” to come over and hot tub with him. He explicitly asked her to wear the tiniest bikini that she could find.
Deputies reported that during the voice mail, Jensen referred to “Suzie” being a 14-year-old girl. Probation agents believed the defendant may have been using drugs or alcohol, a violation of his probation in an unrelated case.
On May 13, investigators made contact with Jensen at his Wellsville residence. At first, he denied making the call, but later claimed it was a joke after being pressed by law enforcement.
When probation agents looked at Jensen’s cell phone they found evidence that he had been searching for child pornography. They also searched a second phone and found several images of underage girls in various stages of undress.
Deputies reported finding women’s underwear and swimwear laying around the home even though Jensen is the only one who lives in the residence.
During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Cameron Cox clarified that some of the reported images were legal and showed porn stars who looked younger but were over 18.
Jensen read a letter, describing how he was abused by a neighbor, and introduced to drugs and alcohol at a young age. He described how he turned back to those substances when his wife left him.
Cache County deputy attorney Ronnie Keller reminded the court that Jensen had told law enforcement he fantasized about children. He argued that even though some of the material may have been legal, it showed young girls in gymnastics leotards, and was concerning.
Judge Spencer Walsh said that even if the images were not illegal, they still showed Jensen is a risk to children. He told the Wellsville man, you’ve got to figure out a way to deal with your past trauma in a healthy way.
Jensen was placed on probation for 36 months. As part of the sentence, he will also be under electronic monitoring, a curfew, and have to complete sex-offender treatment.