Bird won his seat in the Utah House in 2002 with 71 percent of the vote, but not until after he ousted incumbent Glenn Way in the Republican primary. Way later resigned the seat before completing his term when his wife obtained a restraining order against him for threats of violence.

Bird served half a term on the Springville City Council before he resigned to run for mayor. He lost that 1997 mayoral race to Hal Wing. He attempted to regain a council seat in 2000 when another council member resigned, but the council voted for one of eight other candidates.

A lifelong Springville resident, Bird is the owner of TLC for Kids, a Springville day-care facility.

The John's Program is designed to help first-time offenders deal with emotional issues. Sex solicitation rises to a class-A misdemeanor for a second offense and to a third-degree felony for a third offense.

"If someone fails to complete the course, a conviction is automatically added to his record," said Matt Sorensen, criminal court administrator for the Salt Lake City Justice Court.

Defendants who enter the John's Program are usually required to take an AIDS test, said Peggy Hauff, a Court and Treatment Services clerk at the Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Services Court.

Once defendants complete the program, they receive a certificate to take to the sentencing judge. If no new charges appear during a 12-month period, the guilty plea is stricken and the defendant can move to have the record expunged.

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Contributing: Pat Reavy; E-mail: twalch@desnews.com