Orem man charged with 41 felonies for possessing, distributing CSAM online

OREM, Utah (ABC4) — An Orem man has been charged with 41 felonies after a cyber tip revealed he was allegedly accessing, viewing, and sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Richard Kirkland Mallard, 44, was charged with nine counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, a first-degree felony, and 32 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

According to documents, on May 1, 2025, detectives with the Orem Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Kik, a messenger app, reported to law enforcement that a user was allegedly in possession of CSAM, and provided an email address and phone number that were connected to the account.

Police obtained a search warrant for the email account and discovered that the user had links to graphic sexual stories and videos in his inbox and outbox. Using the email address and phone number, detectives connected the account to Mallard. Search warrants returned from Kik revealed that he had been messaging various users to obtain CSAM.

Mallard not only requested, but also distributed CSAM files, according to documents. Some videos were so graphic that detectives had to mute the files while reviewing what CSAM Mallard allegedly possessed. Documents say most of the files included prepubescent or very young children.

At the time of arrest, the Orem Police officer found cause for 42 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and 44 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, but Mallard did not ultimately receive that many charges.

Mallard was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail on July 15. He is currently being held without bail, as law enforcement believes he poses a danger to the community and may be a flight risk if released.