Former SLC fire battalion chief sentenced to jail, probation on child pornography charges

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who recently retired from his position as a Salt Lake City fire battalion chief was sentenced to jail and probation after being accused of possessing hundreds of child pornography images.

Kelly J. Carter, 52, pleaded guilty on May 19 and was sentenced on Aug. 11 for sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony. Third District Judge Chelsea Koch sentenced him to one to 15 years in prison, but suspended that sentence, instead ordering him to serve one year in jail, with credit for the six months he had already spent in jail, and four years on probation.

The charging documents accused Carter of purchasing child sex abuse material while at work. He was hired in 2000 and retired on Dec. 15, 2025, and then was arrested nearly two months later on Feb. 6.

The documents said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip about a cryptocurrency account making a transaction associated with a site that sold child sexual abuse material. That account information was forwarded to the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children task force.

Charging documents said that when investigators contacted Carter, he admitted to purchasing a subscription with the intent to view child sex abuse material, and he also admitted to viewing the material on his iPhone while at work during the month that the subscription was active.

A search of his cellphone showed hundreds of images, including at least one dated in 2020, and charges alleged he had been viewing child sex abuse material "for at least six years."

While on probation, Carter was ordered to go to an inpatient treatment program and not access the internet without approval from Adult Probation and Parole.

He was originally charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, but pleaded guilty to only one count as part of a plea deal.

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