Texas man arrested in Lehi after trying to meet with undercover officer posing as minor

Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press

An arrest was made in Lehi last week after a man from Texas traveled to Utah to meet with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl for a sexual encounter. Instead, the suspect from Texas was met by Lehi Police officers and arrested. Lehi investigators worked with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force to conduct an online sting operation.

54-year-old Kevin Michael Dilks of Magnolia, Texas, was arrested for attempted rape of a child, attempted sodomy on a child, attempted sexual abuse of a child, enticement of a minor, and dealing in material harmful to a minor. He has not been formally charged yet.

According to the arrest statement, a detective with the Lehi Police Department was performing an undercover investigation as a 13-year-old girl. While on an online chat platform, the suspect, later identified as Dilks, contacted the officer.

During an interview with the suspect, the affidavit states that the suspect admitted that “if the child ‘pushed’ enough that he likely would have engaged in sexual activity with her.” He also said, “He felt connected to the child because they were both lonely.” The suspect continued that he knew the child wanted to meet with an older person and said that he “felt it was good that it was him because there are other people out there with bad intentions.”

During the initial conversation between the suspect and the undercover detective, it was made clear by the detective that the child was only 13 years of age; however, this did “not dissuade” him from speaking with the child, according to the Affidavit of Probable Cause.

The weeks-long investigation ended when the suspect traveled to Utah to meet with the 13-year-old child. The suspect told the undercover investigator that he had arrived in Utah from Texas, and arrangements were made to meet with the child. The suspect was taken into custody upon his arrival at the pre-arranged meeting location.

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Police executed a search warrant for the suspect’s hotel room, where detectives located “Plan B pills, and personal lubrication, along with other items that he was asked to bring for the child” while chatting online. The suspect allegedly admitted to police that “what he did was wrong,” according to documents.

Dilks was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.