By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A Cedar City man convicted in a child exploitation case has been sentenced to prison following a plea agreement that significantly reduced the charges he originally faced.
Derrick Joseph Joslin, 25, was sentenced April 29 in 5th District Court to an indeterminate term of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
He was also sentenced to up to five years for distributing material harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony, with the sentences ordered to run consecutively, meaning the second sentence will begin after the first is completed.
Joslin pleaded guilty to the two charges in March as part of an amended filing that reduced the case from multiple first-degree felony counts.
When the case was initially filed, prosecutors charged Joslin with five counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, all first-degree felonies, along with multiple counts of distributing harmful material to a minor.
According to court documents, the case began after a report to Cedar City police in November 2025 involving allegations of a sexual relationship between Joslin and a minor that began when the victim was 14.
Investigators later obtained digital evidence, including videos, photographs and messages. The evidence showed Joslin engaged in sexual conduct with the minor and distributed explicit material during the course of the relationship.
Court records indicate the materials included images and videos created while the victim was under the age of 18. They also include messages in which Joslin acknowledged the victim’s age.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court issued a continuous protective order prohibiting Joslin from contacting the victim and other protected individuals.
Court records show Joslin’s criminal history dates back to 2012 and includes a felony theft conviction, followed by multiple felony drug possession and distribution cases.
In 2019, he was also convicted in a felony attempted theft case that later resulted in repeated probation violations and prison time.
Records also show he was later convicted on two counts of assault by a prisoner stemming from a 2020 incident at the Iron County Jail in which deputies and medical staff were injured.