Roy fire chief releases statement after firefighter charged in child sexual abuse case

SALT LAKE CITY – The Chief of the Roy City Fire Department released a statement outlining department standards after a firefighter was charged in a child sexual abuse case.

Ryan J. Rampton, 58, 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. On Thursday, Second District Judge Blaine Rawson ordered Rampton continue to be held without bail.

Rampton was a firefighter with the department and was placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

Related: Roy firefighter, photographer charged with sexual abuse of a child

Roy City Fire Department releases statement

On Wednesday, Chief Theron Williams released a statement to the city on the values and standards of the department, describing an employee whose conduct did not align with its standards. Williams did not mention Rampton or his ongoing case specifically.

“The Roy City Fire Department has a long-standing reputation for excellence, and we stand firmly behind the men and women who serve with courage, skill, and compassion every day,” Williams said. “We ask the public and the media to recognize that this isolated incident does not define our department or its mission.”

Williams described the allegations and conduct against the employee as “deeply troubling and wholly inconsistent with our standards.”

Williams said that on Friday, Oct. 25, the employee resigned from the department.

“Those who fall short of these values do not deserve to stand among the great ones who have earned the public’s trust through their actions and integrity,” Williams said. “This situation has profoundly affected not only our department but also the trust and confidence of our city and community.”

Williams said that disappointment and concern from the public are taken seriously and the department is “committed to rebuilding trust through transparency, accountability, and continued service to our community.”

Williams also noted that the “alleged misconduct occurred before the individual’s employment with Roy City,” and that the employee in question had joined from another department approximately three years ago.

Williams said the department had no knowledge of prior misconduct or a criminal record, or “this employee would not have been hired.”

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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).