Salt Lake Tribune

A Unified Fire Authority battalion chief who has been placed on administrative leave was charged Friday with two second-degree felony counts of enticing a minor over the Internet.
   According to a probable-cause statement filed in 3rd District Court along with the charges, Dennis Steadman, 54, twice arranged over the Internet to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but was really an undercover agent. Steadman did not show up for the first meeting, but at the second meeting, on Wednesday, he was arrested, according to the statement.
    After his arrest, Steadman said he had a "problem" and expressed a desire to go into therapy, according to the statement. Steadman also said he frequently talks to children about sexual matters and he has looked at child pornography on the Internet, according to the statement.
    The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated Steadman about a month preceding his arrest after police received several complaints, the Utah Attorney General's Office has said.
    Steadman sent online messages to an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl, according to the probable-cause statement. The messages included his desire to perform sex acts on the girl, according to the statement.
    Steadman has been placed on administrative leave while the UFA conducts an internal investigation.
    Steadman, who has worked in firefighting for more than 30 years, is one of 12 battalion chiefs. He was last assigned to the South Battalion, which covers the south end of Salt Lake County.
   - Justin Hill
   
   

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