Trigger Warning: The following content contains descriptions of the alleged sexual offenses.
LOGAN, Utah (ABC4) — A 40-year-old staff member of a juvenile facility faces sex charges after he allegedly had a sexual relationship with her and told her he’d take them out of the country to live together.
Wesley Allen, 40, was arrested in Logan on Jan. 26 on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, several counts of forcible sexual abuse, object rape, and obstruction of justice. These allegations occurred between mid-November and the end of December 2022. Allen had been a staff member at the State of Utah Juvenile Services facility, and the teenage girl in question was housed in that facility.
Logan City Police are investigating.
The child in question reported that she had a sexual relationship with Allen. She said that Allen had taken her to a portion of the facility without video surveillance where he then asked her to participate in sexual activities on at least eight separate occasions.
Video surveillance from the facility confirmed the visits to the unmonitored room. The visits with both the child and Allen ranged between 17 seconds and over eight minutes in length. Video surveillance also showed Allen watching as the child went into the shower room and appeared to be showering with the door open. Allen encouraged her to shower and perform sexual acts while he watched, the child alleged.
During the interview, the child said Allen told her that he loved her and that he wanted to keep things on the “down-low” until she turned 18. He allegedly said he would then help her get a driver’s license and a passport, and take them out of the country to live.
“Wesley Allen used his position of trust and knowledge to groom and perpetrate a child.” The Logan City Police record said.
The child said in one conversation with Allen, they talked about people finding out, and Allen told her to lie and tell everyone nothing happened. During the investigation, Allen allegedly provided the child with his personal cellphone number so she could contact him outside of the facility.
Along with allegedly keeping in contact with the girl, a search warrant of Allen’s cellphone shows the use of multiple dating and communication apps, including Grindr, Kik, Meetme, and others. Logan City Police said that based on Allen’s training and experience, those apps could be used to meet juveniles and adults for sexual activity.
Allen was also known to provide incorrect information about his age, children, and marital status. The Logan City Police said that is common practice with individuals who engage in sexual activity with children and adults.
The Logan City Police included the following reason for Allen’s continued detention:
“[…Allen] has minimized his actions in several investigations. [Allen] has recently accepted a position that would allow him access to vulnerable adults,” the police report said. “This behavior is predatory and shows the intent to groom minor victims. A release of [Allen] would put juveniles in the community at risk.”
Updates will be available as ABC4 receives more information.
