Pediatric nurse arrested for allegedly sending and receiving CSAM

SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A pediatric nurse in Salt Lake County has been arrested for allegedly distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on social media.

Lance Aaron Putnam, 28, has been arrested and faces potential charges of 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of obstruction of justice.

According to the arrest statement, on Jan. 4, 2025, a social media company sent a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The company reported that an account was uploading and sharing CSAM online and sent the account’s IP address.

NCMEC forwarded this report to the Utah County Attorney General’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), which initiated an investigation into the case. Through search warrants and court orders, ICAC was allegedly able to identify the account owner as Putnam.

On Aug. 19, ICAC served a search warrant at Putnam’s residence in Salt Lake County. When officers knocked on his door, Putnam allegedly broke his phone, and admitted it was in an attempt to hide what was on it from the police.

Officers detained Putnam and conducted a police interview with him. During the interview, Putnam allegedly admitted to sending and receiving CSAM over multiple social media platforms. According to documents, Putnam stated that he had been viewing CSAM for a couple of years and had an addiction. He reportedly said that he had “distributed CSAM more time than he could count” but that it was in the thousands.

While investigating him, officers discovered that he is currently employed at a pediatric hospital, where he works as a nurse. The arresting officer expressed concern that he had access to children who are the same age as some of the CSAM he possessed and distributed.

Putnam was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.