Sex offender arrested for failing to keep his registry current
- Travis Uresk
- May 21
- 2 min read
by Travis Uresk
5-21-25
| Vernal, Ut. | May 20th, 2025 |
On Tuesday, Adult Probation and Parole (AP&P) received a tip on sex offender 23-year-old Joshua Jay Zook, who is currently on probation for the following offenses:
Felony 3 - Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Misdemeanor A - Dealing in Material Harmful to Minors (16-18)
Felony 3 - Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor
The tip alleged that Joshua was using Snapchat, which is not listed on the Utah Sex Offender Registry. It was also reported that Joshua was dating an individual with a young child, a violation of his probation agreement.
A search of Joshua’s Offender Watch revealed that he did not update his registration during his birth month due to incarceration. He was released from jail on March 29th, 2025, and updated the registry on April 1st, 2025, and most recently on May 1st, 2025. An active alert on the registry stated that offenders must obtain/possess a valid UT ID card or driver's license.
On May 21st, 2025, AP&P located Joshua in Jensen at a residence where four minor children reside. AP&P did not approve this address.
Upon agents' arrival, Joshua immediately exited the residence and was found underneath a truck in the garage. During a conversation, Joshua permitted the agents to view his cell phone and provided the passcode. It was known that Joshua has a "no internet" clause in his probation agreement. Access to the internet was observed on his cell phone.
Joshua Zook was arrested for being in the presence of minors without written approval from AP&P and for violating the "no internet" clause. His phone was seized as evidence for a probation search.
Probable cause was established to arrest Joshua Zook for three counts of Failure to register as a sex offender based on the unlisted Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat accounts.
Related article:
Vernal, Ut.—On March 12th, 2024, the Vernal City Police Department was assigned to follow up on a report of a 21-year-old male, Joshua Jay Zook, having sexual relations with a 15-year-old female.
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