Provo man sentenced for child sex abuse

PROVO — A man was sentenced to prison Tuesday for sexually abusing children and taking pictures of the abuse.

Alan Wheeler, 42, from Provo, pleaded guilty in January to five first-degree felony counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child and five second-degree felony counts of sex exploitation of a minor. He also pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony of investigate matter.

For his sentence, he will spend five years to life in prison for each first-degree count. The second-degree felonies mean one to 15 years in prison. However, all of the charges will run concurrently, Judge Samuel McVey ruled.

Wheeler is charged with abusing three young girls as they slept and taking pictures of the different abuses.

McVey also said he would recommend credit for the 142 days Wheeler has already served in the Utah County Jail.

Wheeler originally faced 10 counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child and 40 counts of sex exploitation of a minor, but some of the charges were dropped based on a plea deal in which Wheeler agreed to plead guilty to the remaining charges.