Roy firefighter, photographer charged with sexual abuse of a child

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah firefighter is facing multiple charges after investigators suspect he sexually abused a child family member over the span of four years.

Ryan J. Rampton, 58, Utah, was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one count of sodomy on a child, according to the 2nd Judicial District Court. The State requested a no-bail warrant to protect the victim and the community at large.

Court documents stated that during the investigation, it was discovered Rampton has a photography studio in Clinton, Rampton Photography, at his residence, where he “markets photoshoots with young girls at his home for ‘princess parties,'” and works as a firefighter in the community.

Investigation

According to a probable cause statement from the Syracuse Police Department, police responded to a child sex abuse report in March 2025 involving Rampton and a child family member.

The victim reported the abuse occurred at Rampton’s house and the victim’s mother’s house, both located in Syracuse, between 2013 and 2017, according to court documents.

The victim was reportedly interviewed at the Weber County Children’s Justice Center, where they “disclosed multiple acts of sexual abuse … with (Rampton) during the relevant time period.”

In 2017, court documents state the victim told their mother about the abuse and it was reported at that time. Due to the victim’s feelings of discomfort when detailing the abuse to a male police officer who was conducting the interview, the case reportedly “remained in the investigatory phase until it was again reported in March of 2025.”

According to court documents, “The Victim disclosed that she had confided in (their) mother and disclosed the nature of the abuse in detail as a young child and throughout the years, but (their) mother asked (them) not to say anything …. asking the Victim if (they) could forgive (Rampton).”

In May 2025, the victim reportedly spoke with their mother about the abuse on a recorded phone call arranged by the Syracuse Police Department. On the call, the victim’s mother apologized for being told about the abuse and “after everything the Victim has been through, she believes (them) and acknowledges she did not protect the Victim from (Rampton).”

Court documents state the victim wanted to report the abuse to prevent Rampton from harming any other children, highlighting concern about his photography studio at his residence, where young girls change into princess costumes and are photographed.

The Roy City Fire Department released a statement Wednesday regarding the investigation into allegations made against Rampton, a firefighter with the department:

Roy City is aware that one of our firefighters has been arrested following the completion of a law
enforcement investigation by an outside agency. Immediately after becoming made aware of the
investigation, the city placed the employee on administrative leave, pending its outcome.

With the investigation now concluded and charges filed, the employee remains on leave while
the City completes its internal review process and takes appropriate action in accordance with
City policy and applicable law.

Roy City takes these matters very seriously and continues to fully cooperate with law
enforcement authorities. As this is now a legal matter, the City will not be providing further
comment at this time. Our commitment to the safety, trust, and confidence of the Roy community
and to the integrity of the Roy City Fire Department remains our top priority.

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Editor’s note: This article clarifies that while Rampton’s address states he lives in Syracuse in court documents, he worked in Roy as a firefighter and operated his photography business from Clinton.

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Child abuse resources:

• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

Help with Children

Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:

• The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
• Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
• The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
• The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child’s mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.

CSAM Prevention Resources and Victim Recovery: 

• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides support to children who are victims of child sexual exploitation through emotional peer support for families, content removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and help getting connected to therapists and attorneys. The NCMEC also provides a CyberTipline where CSAM can be reported. Visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources for more information. 
• The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force hosts a hub of resources for parents and offers local help to cases involving child sexual exploitation. 
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides a guide of safety measures to take in order to prevent children from being targeted in CSAM cases. 
• Thorn nonprofit organization creates products and programs that combat child sexual abuse at scale. It provides resources for families to help them identify the possible ways children can be exploited online, giving them proper terminology and statistics to keep them educated. For more information, visit https://www.thorn.org/research/child-sexual-abuse-material-csam/ 
• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).