New arrest made on porn charges

MURRAY — A former Riverton public works employee accused last year of trying to arrange a sexual rendezvous with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl has been arrested again.

Agents with the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said Friday that Thomas Brent Varney, 50, was arrested on investigation of enticement of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor. It stems from his arrest last year on similar charges.

"In the course of the operation, computers were seized and hundreds of hard-core child pornography images were located," ICAC Capt. Rhett McQuiston said. "Children ranging from as young as 3 to approximately 14. Some very disturbing images. Some of the youngest child porn images I've seen in eight years of doing this job."

In August 2006, Varney was arrested after investigators said he attempted to arrange a meeting with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. It really was an undercover ICAC agent.

Varney was never charged in the initial arrest. However, a criminal complaint was filed in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court late Thursday, charging Varney with 15 counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a second-degree felony; and one count of dealing in harmful materials, a class A misdemeanor.

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