BLM official is arrested on child-abuse charges

The field manager of the Bureau of Land Management's Kanab office has been arrested by Kanab police and charged in two separate cases of child sexual abuse.

Rex Lee Smart, 60, is facing charges in one case of sodomy upon a child, attempted rape of a child, child kidnapping and three counts of aggravated sexual assault, all of which are first-degree felonies. He also faces two counts of sexual abuse of a child, which are second-degree felonies.

In the other case, Smart is charged with child kidnapping, sodomy upon a child and three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, all first-degree felonies.

He was booked into the Kane County Jail on Friday and later bailed out on $125,000 bail, according to jail officials.

"We are not able to discuss individual personnel issues," said Larry Crutchfield, BLM spokesman in Kanab. "This is an ongoing legal action with Mr. Smart and the courts, so it is inappropriate for me to discuss the issue any further."

Smart is scheduled to appear before 6th District Judge Wallace Lee on Jan. 11.