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MIDVALE — A bus driver with the Canyons School District has been arrested and accused of possessing child sex abuse material.
Val Whitehead, 69, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of sexual exploitation of a minor.
The investigation began in June when the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children task force received a tip of child sex abuse material being uploaded. Detectives eventually determined that the photos were being uploaded at Whitehead's home, according to a police booking affidavit.
When questioned, Whitehead said he kept his laptop in a shed in the backyard and that he was the only one who had access to it. Other family members told investigators that "Val spend most of his time alone in the shed in the back of the residence," the affidavit states.
"Several things relating to child erotica were located" on the laptop, according to the affidavit. Investigators also reported finding several encrypted videos suspected to contain child pornography, including "videos of bus drivers having sexual relations with children."
"With the nature of this crime and the fact that Val has current access to a lot of children due to his job at Canyons School District as a bus driver, (investigators believe) Val is a danger to society and has progressed as a sexual predator," the arresting officer noted in the affidavit.
The school district issued a brief statement on Thursday saying, "The employee has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation. Canyons District will fully cooperate with police investigating the allegations."
