By Tracie Sullivan
Despite the prosecutor’s urging for a harsher punishment, a 5th District Court judge decided to impose the minimum sentence on a Cedar City resident last week after he pleaded guilty to distributing sexual images to a minor.
Judge Jeffrey Wilcox sentenced Sean Brandon Foard, 48, to 270 days in Iron County Jail with credit for 182 days served for distributing harmful materials to a minor and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, both third-degree felonies. He was also convicted on one count of enticing a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
The decision opposed Deputy Iron County Attorney Shane Klenk’s recommendation of a 0-5 year sentence, based on the severity of the crimes and Foard’s previous criminal record.
“The PSI (presentence investigation) does not do justice to the pages and pages of vile filth the defendant was willing to send to who he thought was a juvenile girl,” Klenk said.
Foard was arrested in August 2023 after the defendant sent sexual images and messages to what he believed then to be a 15-year-old girl online. The online exchange was part of an undercover operation conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
“Make no mistake, the defendant has been seeking deviant gratification at the expense of juveniles for a long time,” Klenk said. “This is an addiction which poses serious risk to the community – and not only the community but one of the most vulnerable subsets of the community.”
While Klenk acknowledged Foard’s need for therapy and treatment, he insisted that it should occur within the confines of the Utah State Prison. Additionally, he argued that the sentence should reflect the gravity of the crime.
Foard served a three-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2011 in 3rd District Court for felony automobile homicide. This followed an incident in which Foard caused the death of a woman while driving under the influence.