South Jordan man arrested by undercover South Ogden officer for attempting to meet 14-year-old

SOUTH OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — A South Jordan man has been arrested and charged after attempting to meet up with an underage girl who was actually an undercover police officer.

Joanny Alejandro Parica-Amricua, 30, has been charged with one count of attempted rape, one count of attempted forcible sodomy, four counts of enticing a minor with second-degree felony activity, and one count of distributing harmful material to a minor.

According to court documents, between July 15 and Aug. 18, 2025, a South Ogden Police officer affiliated with the Utah Attorney General Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) conducted an undercover operation as a 14-year-old girl on social media.

Parica-Amricua allegedly made contact with this undercover officer on July 15, believing him to be an underage teen. Through social media, the two had casual conversations without anything inappropriate. This changed on Aug. 14, when Parica-Amricua asked for the minor’s location.

During this conversation, Parica-Amricua stated that he lived in South Jordan, and asked about meeting who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in person. The undercover officer reaffirmed that they were a 14-year-old, and Parica-Amricua allegedly claimed to be 17 years old.

The following day, Aug. 15, Parica-Amricua “reiterated his desire to meet” with the alleged 14-year-old, and began making arrangements to meet in person. He also expressed interest and intentions to “engage in inappropriate conduct” and “pursue a relationship,” according to documents.

Initially, Parica-Amricua invited the undercover officer posing as a minor to meet him at his residence in South Jordan using the Trax and Frontrunner systems, but the undercover officer declined. In reponse, Parica-Amricua allegedly agreed to travel to South Ogden to meet with the minor at Madison Park.

On Aug. 18, the planned meeting date, Parica-Amricua confirmed that he would be meeting the 14-year-old, and provided assurances during a discussion about engaging in inappropriate relations. He allegedly asked the minor about what sexual relations she would be comfortable with before arriving.

Around 5 p.m., Parica-Amricua arrived at the meeting location in South Ogden, documents say. When he arrived, he was arrested and taken into custody. He allegedly “continued to apologize and plead for law enforcement to release him with a warning” while being transported to jail.

Parica-Amricua was booked into the Weber County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.