Provo, UT – Detectives with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested a South Jordan man after an undercover online investigation allegedly uncovered attempts to exploit a child.
According to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began on September 26, 2025, when Joel T. Covington allegedly engaged in explicit online conversations with a detective posing as an 8-year-old child. Detectives reported Covington attempted to arrange meetings with the fictitious child and requested pictures.
Officials said Covington was employed as a nurse in a mental health facility. Detectives arrested him at his workplace on September 29 out of concern for public safety. Investigators stated that Covington allegedly admitted during questioning to the conversations and to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)…