Orem man released on bond after being charged with 41 felonies involving CSAM

OREM, Utah (ABC4) — An Orem man accused of possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has posted bond and is out of jail, documents say. He received multiple letters of support prior to his bail hearing.

Richard Kirkland Mallard, 44, was charged on July 21, 2025, 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.

Initially, Mallard was being held without bail. After a detention hearing on Aug. 10 that amended his bail order to $10,000 cash or bond and set rules for his release, Mallard posted bond on Aug. 14, 2025. While out on bond, Mallard must obey the following pretrial release conditions:

• The Defendant shall have a private GPS ankle monitor installed prior to release.
• The Defendant shall not leave the State of Utah without approval from the Court.
• The Defendant shall not have access to the Internet by any electronic means.
• The Defendant shall not possess or have access to any sexually stimulating materials.
• The Defendant shall not have contact with any individuals under the age of 18, with the exception of his own children.
• The Defendant shall stay away 50 feet from minors, and shall not enter private or public property where minors are known to frequent.
• The Defendant shall submit to a psychosexual evaluation and comply with recommended treatment.

Letters of support

Before Mallard’s detention hearing, the court received several letters of support from individuals in the community and people who knew Mallard. These letters came from friends, neighbors, and even the dean of one of the colleges at Brigham Young University.

“He’s also a deeply religious man — we are both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints…” the BYU college dean wrote. “As far as I could tell he followed all the teachings of the Church, avoiding all alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, smoking, drugs, etc. I have no reason to believe he was not completely faithful to his wife… In our interactions he was always honest, kind, and trustworthy. I was completely shocked by his arrest.”

Another letter shared with the court detailed a neighbor who often received support from Mallard. The neighbor said that he had a disability, and Mallard would frequently assist him with day-to-day tasks and help him during emergencies.

One letter from a youth group leader read that Mallard had attended and helped out during a teenage girls’ camping trip. The youth leader stated that Mallard is “a teacher and a rescuer and a helper.” She also explained that Mallard had always obeyed youth protection rules, “He has acted appropriately and has followed the policies set in place to protect the youth,” she wrote.

Other character letters expressed shock at Mallard’s charges and reiterated that they did not believe the actions he is accused of were in line with his character. A letter from a medical professional also cited some health issues that could be better treated outside of the jail.

What is Mallard accused of?

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.