Carbon County man arrested for 7 felonies after allegedly messaging undercover officer he believed was a child

Content warning: This article contains information about alleged child exploitation. Reader discretion is advised. Report online child exploitation to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency.

CARBON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A Carbon County man has been arrested on suspicion of seven felonies after he sent sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer he believed was an underaged child.

Brendon John Polito, 38, was arrested on seven felony counts, including enticement of a minor, attempted rape of a child, 2 counts of dealing in harmful material to a minor, 2 counts of distribution of pornographic material, and failing to register information with the sex offender registry.

A Carbon County Sheriff’s Office deputy working as a member of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force went undercover to pose as a 13-year-old female child on social media.

According to the filed affidavit, Polito allegedly began an online conversation with who he believed was a 13-year-old child, and he was told that the child was 13. He then blocked the user, but a few days later, he messaged the undercover officer again.

After the ‘child’ said that she was almost 14 years old, he blocked the user again, and then again resumed messaging, and he asked the ‘child’ for naked pictures of herself.

Two weeks later, the ‘child’ once again told Polito that she was 13 years old, and Polito messaged that he was having “naughty” thoughts and asked if the child had ever had sex. A week after that, he sent further sexually explicit messages and a photo of his genitals to the undercover officer he believed was a child.

After explaining what sex was to the ‘child’ and sending another sexually explicit photo, Polito allegedly made plans to meet up with the child, including a time and a location. The undercover officer messaged as the child that she was on the way to the location, but Polito texted and said he couldn’t because he forgot he had to go do something else.

Police found Polito walking in Price, and officers stopped him. Allegedly, without being asked any questions, he asked police, “Is this about the text messages?”

Polito waived his Miranda Rights and told police that he was talking to a 13-year-old girl. He also gave police written permission to search his phone and showed police where to find the messages on the phone. He wrote an apology letter to the ‘child,’ and when informed that the interview was being recorded, he apologized to the child’s family for the things he sent to the child.

Police said that during this interview, he also admitted to sending sexually explicit photos of himself to the ‘child.’

Polito is a registered sex offender, but he did not register information with the registry about the account he used to message the ‘child’/undercover officer.

Polito was arrested on August 21, and he is currently being held without bail in the Carbon County Jail.