A 21-year-old man is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail after he showed up Monday, Aug. 17, with bondage materials, lubricant and duct tape to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old boy for sex, according to court documents cited by ABC4.

Carter Wade Dennis Keith was arrested by the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which had set up the sting operation on a social media platform. He faces one count of sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony, along with two counts of enticing a minor, each a third-degree felony.

An undercover ICAC detective posed as an adult male offering his 13-year-old nephew for sexual activity. Keith engaged in what court documents describe as a "very graphic" online conversation involving bondage and sexual acts with the child, then agreed to a meeting location.

When Keith arrived, law enforcement was waiting.

He was carrying a bag containing the lubricant, bondage materials and duct tape, according to court documents.

In a post-arrest interview, Keith admitted he knew the conversation involved a 13-year-old and acknowledged the sexual comments he made. Court documents state he told police "he knew he would have to perform sexual acts with the 13-year-old child and apologized for his actions." He then reversed course, claiming he had "no intention" of engaging in sexual activity with the child and only wanted to meet the adult male.

Local enforcement ramping up

The arrest is the latest in a surge of ICAC enforcement across Salt Lake County. The Sandy Police Department is one of 101 law enforcement agencies affiliated with the Utah ICAC Task Force, which is led by the Utah Attorney General's Office.

In April, the task force conducted Operation Hive Strike, a four-day undercover investigation that resulted in 15 arrests across five Utah counties. Sandy police participated in that operation, according to the Attorney General's Office. Over 80 agents from 31 agencies posed as minors on social media to identify people seeking to meet children for sex.

The task force opened 179 new cases during 2025, more than double the number submitted for prosecution the year before, according to the Attorney General's ICAC page.

Keith's arrest comes weeks after two other child sex abuse cases in the Sandy area. A Sandy man was charged Aug. 13 with sexually abusing a 10-year-old at a sleepover, and two Sandy men were charged Aug. 4 with abusing a 12-year-old neighbor.

Charges against Keith are allegations. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Residents who suspect online child sexual exploitation can contact the Utah ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or the DCFS 24/7 hotline at 855-323-3237.