Behavioral therapist arrested over child sex abuse material, police affidavit says
Mar 19, 2026, 1:10 PM
FILE - Handcuffs used at the decommissioned Draper Prison. (KSL TV)
(KSL TV)
SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake area behavioral therapist who said he worked with children was arrested on Wednesday and accused of possessing child sex abuse material, according to a police affidavit obtained by KSL.
The affidavit said 57-year-old Robert Layne Magann was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on accusations of 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Police documents said the investigation began in January when a social media company sent a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about “an account that uploaded and distributed suspected child sexual abuse material.” The IP address for that account was traced back to Utah.
According to the affidavit, police were able to get “several search warrants and court orders,” and were able to track the social media account back to Magann. Officers searched his home on Wednesday, police said.
“Post Miranda warning, Magann admitted to owning the reported social media account along with the associated email address,” the affidavit said. “Suspect Magann admitted to sending and receiving CSAM on the social media platform on the social media platform.”
Magann tried to downplay the situation, calling the images “European art,” the affidavit said.
Police found evidence of child sex abuse material on several of Magann’s devices, the affidavit said.
“Magann admitted he is a behavioral therapist and works with autistic children. Magann stated that he would never hurt a kid and that he loves working with kids,” the affidavit said.
The documents said Magann admitted to having possessed child sexual abuse material for the past 20 years. It also said officers discovered that he advertised services as a tutor and a babysitter online.
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