Unearthed child porn leads to criminal charges

VERNAL — A former Utah resident accused of burying a bundle of DVDs with thousands of images of child pornography on them is now facing charges.

Paul Bryan Atwood, now living in Idaho, made his initial appearance Monday in 8th District Court in Vernal. He is charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all second-degree felonies.

Uintah County Sheriff's Cpl. Brian Fletcher said a deputy was called to a construction site north of Vernal last August. Crews contacted authorities after a backhoe uncovered a package wrapped in duct tape that contained 30 DVDs.

The case was turned over to a sheriff's detective who worked with members of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Utah Attorney's General Office.

Fletcher said forensic testing on the DVDs revealed that they contained more than 7,000 images of child pornography. He said investigators were able to establish that the discs belonged to Atwood. Investigators believe he buried them in 2001 in the vacant lot.

If convicted, Atwood faces up to 15 years in prison for each count against him.

— Geoff Liesik