Man accused of posing as young boy on Snapchat federally indicted on porn charges

A man who was allegedly posing as a teen boy on social media to solicit photos from juvenile girls now faces federal charges. | Stock image

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who was allegedly posing as a teen boy on social media to solicit photos from juvenile girls now faces federal charges.

Russell Dean Petersen, 42, of Stansbury Park, was federally indicted on July 10 with five counts including production, possession, receiving and distribution of child pornography as well as enticing a minor.

He made his initial appearance in federal court on July 15 and a jury trial was scheduled for Sept. 17. On Tuesday, however, Petersen’s attorneys requested the trial be pushed back another 90 days as they continued to review evidence in the case, according to court documents. The new trial date is scheduled for Nov. 26.

Petersen has been ordered “detained,” or remain in custody, until the case is resolved.

The case was originally investigated by the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office but later screened with federal authorities due to what was found.

According to three search warrant affidavits filed by the sheriff’s office in 3rd District Court, the investigation began in January when Petersen’s estranged wife learned that he may be “Snapchatting and sexting young girls online.”

“The reporting party advised when she looked at Russell’s Snapchat account she saw photographs of naked girls and videos of Russell’s (genitals),” one of the warrants states.

When she read some of the Snapchats, she discovered “he was posing as a 15-year-old boy” and engaging in sexual conversations with girls believed to be 13 to 15 years old, the warrant states.

Other pictures found on Petersen’s Snapchat account involved what detectives described as “hardcore child pornography” involving children between 6 to 15 years old, the warrants state. Some of the pictures were sent to other Snapchat accounts by Petersen, and at least one person known as “Lord Raven” sent pictures to Petersen’s account, according to the warrants. Some of those Snapchat conversations dated back to 2018.

Petersen’s divorce was finalized in April, according to court records.

If convicted, Petersen faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and could be sentenced up to life.

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