A West Valley police officer assigned to Hunter High School as a school resource officer has been arrested in Layton after investigators there say he arrived for a prearranged sexual rendezvous with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy.
Douglas L. Paulsen, 41, has been charged in 2nd District Court with six counts of dealing in material harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony, and one count of enticing a minor over the Internet, a class A misdemeanor.
A detective posing as a 15-year-old boy answered an online sex ad in early September that allegedly was posted by Paulsen, said Layton Police Lt. Garrett Atkin. The detective and Paulsen allegedly began exchanging e-mails.
"During their conversations, the adult male sent the undercover detective pornographic images," Atkin said.
Atkin said Paulsen and the "boy" set up a meeting at the Layton Hills Mall with the understanding that they would move to another location to engage in sex. When Paulsen arrived at the mall, he was taken into custody without incident.
Atkin said he could not release additional details about the case, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Paulsen has worked with the West Valley Police Department for several years. His most recent assignment was working as the school resource officer for Hunter High School.
"Based on the allegation our officer is facing, we have placed him on paid administrative leave," said West Valley Police Capt. Anita Schwemmer.
West Valley police had little to say about the investigation Wednesday, referring all questions to Layton police.
As for his duties at the high school, Schwemmer said her department did not believe any student there was victimized.
"He actually has been a school resource officer at Hunter High School for several years," she said. "We've never had any complaints, rumors or information that has caused us any concern or any unethical behavior on his part at the school. We are interviewing individuals at the school to make sure there was no inappropriate behavior there."
Ben Horsley, spokesman for the Granite District, also referred questions about the case to the two police departments. However, he noted, "We don't believe our students have been impacted."
Paulsen was released Wednesday from the Davis County Jail following an initial court appearance.
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