Estimated read time: 2-3
minutes
AMERICAN FORK — A former criminal justice professor in Utah and long-time police officer is accused of possessing child pornography and taking voyeuristic videos of both children and adults and is now facing multiple felony charges.
Daniel Waddington, 68, was charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, a first-degree felony; and nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
On July 11, American Fork police were notified that Waddington had tried to video record a 13-year-old girl taking a shower, according to charging documents. The girl saw his phone and reported the incident to an adult.
Waddington initially “claimed he had merely set the phone down on the bench while checking on the barking dog” but the next day told the girl he was simply trying to get an audio recording of her singing in the shower, the charges state.
The girl’s father, however, checked Waddington’s laptop and found pornographic videos, some of which were of children, according to the charges. The parents then turned Waddington’s phone and laptop over to police.
“The dad also reported (Waddington) has previously been caught filming younger girls in public places,” the charges state.
Search warrants were served on the devices and “an initial review … found over 8,000 (child pornography) files” as well as more than 8,000 files described as “age difficult” materials.
In addition, investigators found what appeared to be a video of Waddington trying to record up the skirt of a student at Utah Valley University where he was an adjunct professor for six years, the charges state. Investigators also learned “a prior uncharged report to UVU police was made by a different female UVU student who alleged (Waddington) was making voyeuristic videos in an on-campus gym/workout area,” according to the charges.
A voyeuristic video of another child who appears to be 8 to 10 years old, recorded at a local swimming pool, was also discovered, the charges state.
Additionally, police said voyeuristic videos of women in a bathroom were also discovered on Waddington’s devices. According to the charges, the victims are women he knew “from his time working with the State Department in Africa.”
Waddington was an officer for the Long Beach Police Department in California for more than 25 years and has “extensive graduate education in criminal justice-related fields” as well as “over 40 years of domestic and international criminal justice experience,” a police booking affidavit states.
Waddington also claimed he worked with the U.S. Department of State until recently. He was also on the board of directors for Second Chance 4 Youth, “a program to provide opportunities and positive trajectories for at-risk youth and those in the juvenile justice system,” police noted.
“His LinkedIn biography indicates he has engaged in extensive law enforcement training, consulting and training in at least eight other countries across Europe, South Africa, Asia and Africa,” according to the affidavit.
The Second Chance 4 Youth Charity organization condemned Waddington’s alleged conduct following his arrest last week.
Related stories
Most recent Police & Courts stories
More stories you may be interested in
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
