Lehi City News
Lehi’s Special Victims Unit protects the most vulnerable
The Lehi Police Department’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) is vital in protecting the most vulnerable among us. While SVU handled 153 investigations in 2024, the department saw a significant increase in the first seven months of 2025, with a total of 110 cases. The presence of LPD’s dedicated investigators sends a powerful message that these crimes will not be tolerated and that victims will be supported through the pursuit of justice.
Lehi’s SVU is dedicated to bringing offenders to justice and supporting survivors, a mission driven by the profound impact of the crimes they investigate. Navigating investigations into sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence can be challenging for SVU investigators due to a unique interplay of factors, including:
- The impact of trauma on the victim can affect their memory and make it difficult to recall details accurately.
- Victims may delay reporting due to “shock, shame, fear of retaliation, or not being believed,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Regular exposure to trauma.
- SVU investigators must be proactive to ensure victims’ safety and privacy throughout the investigation.
- The SVU faces the immense difficulty of sensitive investigations, requiring exceptional skill and dedication to effectively gather evidence, support victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
According to Lehi Police Sergeant Jeffrey Smith, “SVU cases definitely can take a toll on an investigator’s mental health. The Lehi Police Department offers a wellness program for officers, who are asked to speak with a mental health professional twice per year. Lehi’s SVU division is affiliated with the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), which requires ICAC investigators to speak with a mental health professional at least quarterly.”
Therapy is a vital resource for the mental well-being of Lehi investigators. Therapy not only supports the mental health of first responders but also enhances their ability to serve their communities effectively.
The Lehi Police Department knows the importance of staying current with investigative techniques and legal developments through ongoing specialized training.
“All officers are required to get sexual assault training, including trauma services, report writing, etc. Officers also attend a yearly legal update often put on by the Utah County Attorney’s Office to keep us informed on any new state codes and changes or updates to state codes,” said Smith.
Lehi’s SVU investigators participate in multiple trainings per year through the Utah ICAC task force. Training aims to equip law enforcement, prosecutors and other professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to investigate and prosecute crimes.
“The training helps us learn new trends, tactics, techniques and tools we can use to stay up to date and be most effective when investigating internet crimes,” said Smith. “SVU detectives also enhance their skills by gaining experience from each unique case, encountering new challenges and circumstances with every investigation. Each case is different, and we always learn from something we haven’t encountered before.
“As we work the cases, we learn the new trends or changes in tactics perpetrators use, and we can adapt our actions to overcome new issues or strategies used by perpetrators,” Smith added.
The core objective of the SVU’s undercover online operations is to safeguard children from online sexual exploitation.
The goal of the ICAC task force is to “take action against individuals who are interested in engaging in sexual activity with children using the internet,” said Smith. “This involves gathering evidence of sexually explicit conversations with children and those who send inappropriate pictures to children or ask for nudes from children, and regarding suspects who want to meet children to engage in sexual activity.
“As we conduct these investigations and make arrests, we want individuals in our community to know that law enforcement is out there conducting these investigations in hopes it will deter people with these illegal intentions from engaging in criminal behavior with children,” added Smith.
A perpetrator could use any online application that has a chat feature attached to engage with juveniles and children.
According to Smith, “This includes online gaming such as Roblox or other games that allow for users to communicate with each other. These crimes occur not only on mobile apps, but also in chat rooms online using PCs. Often, the sites are anonymous and no user information is needed to sign up, making it more difficult to identify suspects.”
Online grooming involves predators using various tactics to build a relationship with a child with the intention of engaging in sexual exploitation or abuse.
“It is all about them building trust with the child as well as the suspect being able to trust the child to not say anything before engaging in the explicit behavior. They’re looking for vulnerability and for children who show even a little curiosity or desire to engage in explicit behavior. Once they identify someone whom they feel they can manipulate, things unfold from there,” Smith said.
After building a relationship of trust with the child, a perpetrator will use various grooming tactics for engagement.
“I’ve conducted online chat investigations where suspects play the slow game and vet and learn about the ‘child’ (the undercover investigator) before they even bring up anything sexual,” said Smith. “I’ve also experienced more straightforward suspects who don’t hold back and will send pictures or ask explicit questions very quickly in the conversation, and sometimes send a quick follow-up message and say, ‘Oh, whoops, that wasn’t meant for you.’ In some apps, they can delete the message after the other person has seen it. This tactic allows the suspect to get a reaction and, based on the reaction, they learn the child’s boundaries and how to proceed or how to approach the child to accomplish their end goal.”
Investigators may use specific communication strategies to navigate conversations with perpetrators.
“As SVU investigators, we make sure to follow the law, all rules and guidelines when engaging with suspects. We obviously are chatting as children/teenagers, so there is lingo and acronyms commonly used by kids that we try to use. If we are chatting with a suspect who has bad intentions with a child, they will typically lead the conversation in that direction in one way or another without any probing or encouragement,” said Smith.
Protecting children and minors from abuse is a community responsibility. Many want to help but may be unsure of how.
According to the CDC Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention website, “Experiencing child sexual abuse can affect how a person thinks, acts and feels and can result in short- and long-term physical, mental and behavioral health consequences, such as depression, lack of positive emotions, intense ongoing fear or sadness or irritability.” Early identification of warning signs is instrumental in victim support.
Smith said, “There are warning signs of abuse, such as a noticeable change in the behavior of the child/minor. Whether that be the child regressing in potty training, being afraid to be bathed, or being afraid to visit a certain individual when they weren’t previously uncomfortable.
“Other warning signs to look for include pain in or on the genitals of a child (can also be a medical issue); sudden drop in performance at school; sudden mood changes; modeling inappropriate behaviors that are being done to them; etc.
“It should be noted that children also become curious about their bodies and explore them at younger ages, including genitals, so the modeling behavior is not an absolute sign of abuse. Adults should pay close attention to a child’s behavior and watch for anything that may be irregular.”
It is important to note that law enforcement agencies must navigate a complex landscape of legal and ethical considerations when using online communication tactics. “Issues of privacy, potential for chilling free speech, and the risk of disproportionate surveillance of certain communities must be carefully addressed,” according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Maintaining the integrity of evidence collected, especially in sensitive investigations, is paramount for the Lehi Police Department.
“Evidence in sex abuse and physical abuse cases is extremely sensitive and needs to be handled with extreme care. Some evidence can be lost if too much time passes,” said Smith. “The first and foremost concern is making sure the evidence is identified based on the information received and then collected promptly.”
The police department has established procedures and effective methods of searching for and collecting evidence.
“Often when a patrol officer takes an initial report of a child abuse case or sex offense case, they will call an investigator to receive guidance on next steps, or the investigator will respond to search for and collect evidence on the scene,” said Smith. “Sometimes this requires search warrants approved by a judge, whether it be for a residence, cellphone, DNA swabs, etc.
“For example, one piece of evidence that is crucial in a sex abuse case is a sexual assault exam conducted by trained forensic nurses. These nurses collect DNA evidence and take photos of injuries and other visible evidence on the victim’s body,” added Smith.
“I have worked with these nurses for several years and can attest that they are very well trained, compassionate, and meticulous in how they handle the evidence. Once evidence is collected, it is immediately picked up by an officer or detective and booked into our locked evidence lockers.”
SVU detectives at the Lehi Police Department prioritize conducting ethical investigations while upholding victim rights.
“We always make sure to look at all sides of an investigation and gather all the evidence, including any exculpatory evidence that would support the alleged suspect’s innocence. We are fact finders, unbiased and fair with how we approach the investigations,” said Smith. “We are sensitive to the victim and let them determine how far the investigation goes based on their comfort level. If the victim tells us to stop the investigation, we do.”
The Lehi Police Department’s mission is to “ensure all victims are treated with dignity and respect. Victims deserve to be informed of their rights and provided with critical support.”
The Lehi Police Department’s Victim Assistance Coordinator, Jenny Hoover, plays a vital role in helping individuals who have experienced crime or trauma move forward by offering emotional support and guidance. She “assists with providing services and support to victims and can assist them through getting different court orders such as protective orders, stalking injunctions, etc.,” said Smith.
Hoover said, “As an advocate, I provide support and guidance to all individuals who have experienced crime or trauma. I offer emotional support by providing a safe space for victims. For example, if there is a sexual assault case involving a female victim, the victim may not be comfortable speaking with a male officer. My role is to show up, be supportive and understanding, as well as provide additional resources and guide them through the court system.”
Resources are available to the public that inform and contribute to public education and child abuse prevention efforts.
The Department of Homeland Security’s “Project iGuardian” provides presentations and outreach to educate children, teens, parents and educators about online safety and reporting suspected abuse at https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/hsi/iguardian.
The ICAC Task Force offers resources and information on internet safety for parents and educators at https://www.icactaskforce.org/.
“A good resource is the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://www.missingkids.org/home. This website offers education on internet crimes and other resources if a child becomes a victim. Another resource would be to follow @utah_icac_task_force on Instagram. They post information, resources, updates, and case highlights in Utah that can help inform the community of trends within the community. The Lehi Police Department Facebook page also does case highlights and provides information. The Lehi PD SVU division is also always happy to do presentations for groups to talk about internet safety and what we do in our investigations, so feel free to reach out to us if you would like us to present,” said Smith.
SVU undercover operations are inherently risky, and this danger is heightened during the act of taking individuals into custody. Lehi’s SVU investigators work to ensure the success and safety of every operation. According to Smith, “Their commitment to victim safety is the foundation of successful outcomes.”
“The committed SVU detectives spend a lot of time doing undercover chat investigations between working their other cases, which includes after work hours, during family dinner, kids’ sports events, late at night, or on the weekends. These perpetrators don’t just want to talk during business hours; it is all the time,” said Smith.
“Undercover operations can be dangerous when a meetup is happening and we are attempting to take someone into custody. The suspects know that having sexually explicit conversations with children and meeting them for sexual activity is high stakes, and they could lose a lot if they are arrested. They can become very desperate and violent. The take-down operations require a lot of detectives for the safety of everyone. It is a team effort. The dedication of detectives helps to make these operations successful and, most importantly, safe,” concluded Smith.
If you suspect or someone you know are experiencing abuse, contact the Lehi Police Department at 385-201-1005 or call the Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 855-323-3237. You can also contact the Utah Office for Victims of Crime at 801-238-2360. Additionally, the Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic offers legal services to victims of crime.
