Lehi man arrested after trying to meet with undercover officer posing as 16-year-old

LEHI, Utah (ABC4) — A Lehi man is facing felony charges after police say he messaged an undercover officer he believed to be a 16-year-old girl, planning to meet her in person to sexually abuse the teen.

Tyler Nathan Howell, 28, was charged Monday with attempted rape, a first-degree felony, and four counts of enticing a minor, a second-degree felony.

An officer with the Lehi City Police Department was undercover online as part of an operation with the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The officer was posing as a 16-year-old girl on a social media platform.

According to court documents, on Sept. 15, 2025, a user named “tylerhUtah” — later identified as Howell — began messaging the 16-year-old through the social media app. At the beginning of the conversation, the undercover officer asked Howell about his age, to which he responded that he was 28.

Posing as a young teen, the officer responded that she was only 16 years old. Howell allegedly replied that he was “okay with that” and brought up the idea of the two meeting in person.

The conversations continued between Howell and who he believed to be a minor for multiple days. On several occasions during their messages, Howell “brought up the idea of having sex with the minor” and meeting in person, documents allege.

On Sept. 22, Howell asked to meet with the minor in American Fork for “a few minutes before he had to go to an appointment.” The undercover officer agreed to the meeting, and officers with the Lehi Police Department responded to the area to wait for Howell to arrive.

When Howell drove in, officers “converged on” him and took him into custody. Inside his vehicle, police saw his phone open to messages between him and the 16-year-old. He was transported to the police department for an interview.

During the interview, Howell allegedly admitted that he knew he was messaging a minor and had come to the location to engage in sexual acts. He also told police that he was “dumb,” that he was “sorry,” and “needs help.”

Howell was booked into the Utah County Jail, but has since been released on a promise to appear in court.