By Travis Uresk
8/25/23
Roosevelt, Ut.-On 1/4/23, Duchesne County Sheriff's Office received a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a Yahoo email user that had uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to a user account that depicts the sodomy of a minor.
During the course of the investigation from 1/4/23 to 8/22/23, records returned several search warrants for the suspect, verified to be 71-year-old Jim Lynn Roberts of Roosevelt.
On 6/2/23, a search was provided to Google Inc. for the email of Roberts listed on the Cyber tip requesting the subscriber content for the email.
Upon receiving the records from Google, the account was verified to belong to Roberts. Inside the email's sent folder were several videos and photos of pubescent and prepubescent children engaged in sodomy and oral sex. There were also videos and pictures of young children masturbating and what appeared to be underage females involved in bestiality.
The ages of the females in the bestiality CSAM were unable to be verified but were estimated to be between 13 and 17 years old.
The images had been sent to an email address listed as cgibbons from the email jimroberts. The email cgibbons was later verified using a search warrant request belonging to Cleo Gibbons of Arkansas.
On 8/22/23, a search warrant was executed at a building on the residence of Jim Roberts. During the search of the residence, three cell phones and a tablet were located. Upon running the electronic devices through the Cellebrite system, several more images of CSAM were found.
Jim Roberts was placed in custody and transported to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office for an interview. Before starting the interview, Detective Hunter advised Roberts of his Miranda Rights, and he agreed to speak with the Detective.
Detective Hunter began the interview by having Roberts verify his cellphone number, which matched the cellphone number listed on the Cyber tip. Roberts also confirmed his email address listed on the Cyber tip.
Roberts disclosed that he had purchased a link through a website distributing pornography. Roberts stated that the link he was sent contained approximately 500 images of pornography photographs and videos.
Roberts said 250 of those were CSAM and that he had sent several videos and photographs to an online friend named Cleo in Arkansas. Roberts also stated that Cleo had sent CSAM back to him as well.
Roberts told Detective Hunter that he was also a member of several other online sites that distribute CSAM and pornography, which included KIK, Omengle, Telegram, Mega, and Chat Hour.
Roberts said he knew having the CSAM was a crime but couldn't explain why he had distributed or kept it. Roberts told the Detective he was aroused by some of the CSAM he watched and said it was entertainment.
Before transporting Roberts to the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Mathews informed Detective Hunter that while searching Roberts bedroom, he found methamphetamine and paraphernalia inside Roberts top dresser drawer.
While interviewing Roberts, Detective Hunter asked him about the meth, and Roberts stated that he used it while living in Kentucky and had brought it with him when he moved to Utah. Roberts said he packed it away with his things and said it was inside his dresser drawer.
Detective Hunter wrote in the affidavit:
The area where Jim Roberts resides is in a multi-unit apartment complex where several young children reside and where Jim would have access to them. Jim's apartment is also located just East of a Children's playground located in the apartment complex. Based on the circumstances surrounding this case and Jim Roberts access to young children. It is the opinion of the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office, The Utah Attorney General's Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force that Jim Roberts be held without bail in this case.
