Former SLC fire battalion chief arrested, accused of having hundreds of child sex abuse images

SALT LAKE CITY — A former Salt Lake City Fire Department division chief was arrested on suspicion of sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to a booking affidavit, Kelly Jay Carter, 51, was accused of using a cryptocurrency account to purchase images of child sexual abuse material.

A cryptocurrency company filed a CyperTipline report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, claiming that a wallet was used to purchase images of child sexual abuse material. The wallet was allegedly traced back to Carter.

Internet Crimes Against Children task force agents contacted Carter about the alleged transaction. Carter admitted to owning the wallet and using it to purchase a single month’s subscription to a website that hosted explicit images, according to the affidavit.

Carter allegedly told police he had only viewed explicit images while at work for the duration of the subscription.

According to police documents, police searched Carter’s iPhone and allegedly found hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material, with at least one file dating back to 2020.

The Salt Lake City Fire Department released a statement regarding the allegations against Carter.

“Recently, the Salt Lake City Fire Department received information regarding serious allegations of misconduct involving former Battalion Chief, Kelly Carter. He was hired on 9/11/2000 and retired 12/15/2025. While the investigation proceeds, the department will cooperate with any law enforcement requests. We are committed to maintaining public trust and upholding the values of accountability and transparency. The Salt Lake City Fire Department remains dedicated to serving and protecting the community with professionalism and integrity.”

Carter retired from the Salt Lake City Fire Department on Dec. 15, 2025 after serving with them for more than 25 years.

Carter was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Friday.

“The Salt Lake City Fire Department issued the following statement in the aftermath of Carter’s arrest: Recently, the Salt Lake City Fire Department received information regarding serious allegations of misconduct involving former Battalion Chief, Kelly Carter. He was hired on 9/11/2000 and retired 12/15/2025.  While the investigation proceeds, the department will cooperate with any law enforcement requests. We are committed to maintaining public trust and upholding the values of accountability and transparency.  The Salt Lake City Fire Department remains dedicated to serving and protecting the community with professionalism and integrity.”

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Read more: Missing report in child sexual abuse case prompts audit at Weber County Sheriff’s Office

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).