Director of Utah charter school arrested for alleged production, distribution of child pornography

CONTENT WARNING: This article contains information about alleged child sexual abuse material. Report child pornography to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency.

LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) — The director of a K-6 charter school in Utah was arrested Tuesday for allegedly producing, selling, and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which is colloquially referred to as child pornography.

Jared Dallan Buckley, 40, was arrested on two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, both first-degree felonies; and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Davis County, law enforcement in New York sought help from Utah officials to identify an account that was reportedly “selling and distributing child sex abuse material.” New York officials received CSAM files from the suspect in October 2024.

“Preliminary information, collected by the investigators who received this material, also suggests that the suspect could be involved in the production of child sexual abuse material involving children outside of the United States,” arrest documents read.

Utah officials identified the owner of the device from which the CSAM was sent and confirmed that it was Buckley’s cell phone. After executing a search warrant, that phone was found in Buckley’s possession, and he was taken into custody.

Officials found several CSAM files on Buckley’s phone during a “preliminary forensic examination of the device.”

According to his biography on the school’s website, Buckley has been employed with the charter school since 2014. As the “Lead Director,” he oversees the charter school’s campuses in Layton and Ogden. Arrest documents also allege that Buckley is “involved with various local youth sports organizations.”

Buckley was booked into the Davis County Jail on Tuesday evening and has been ordered to be held without bail.