SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah man who was a member of the Salt Lake City School Board pleaded guilty this week to enticing underage children to send him sexually explicit photographs and perform sexual acts via video chat.
Joel Lehi Organista confessed to the crimes and formally pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography, both felonies, according to a Monday press statement from the Justice Department.
The plea agreement was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. As he pleaded guilty, Organista, 29, admitted that he was the owner and user of a Dropbox account that downloaded between 10 and 150 “images of prepubescent minors,” the DOJ said.
In early 2021, Dropbox and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported a user, later identified as Organista, for suspicious activity, Law&Crime reported.
Hence, investigators served a search warrant on the account. During the inquiry, they discovered “images and videos of child pornography contained in folders labeled ‘Young’ and ‘Baby Vids,’” the plea agreement reads.
Investigators also executed a search warrant at Organista’s home on June 2, 2021. They discovered multiple electronic devices that contained more than 10 images of child pornography, according to the plea agreement.
“Joel Organista, admitted to owning the Dropbox account, and downloading, viewing, and saving child pornography,” the agreement says.
It’s also noteworthy that he confessed to engaging in mutual masturbation with minors he met online, Law&Crime reported.
“Organista admitted to using Snapchat to contact minor children and solicit them for child pornography and to perform sexual acts for him via video chat,” the agreement states, while outlining some graphic details. “Organista admitted during the chats he and the children would ‘jerk off together.’”
The DOJ also outlined an incident between Organista and a 13-year-old victim where “the victim performed sexual acts for Organista via video chat.”
Organista is a former elected representative for Precinct 1 on Salt Lake City School Board.
The former school board member is originally from Mexico City and moved with his family to Utah, KSTU reported.
Moreover, he reportedly served as the vice president of the Youth at the League of United Latin American Citizens until he was removed from the position following his arrest.
According to the news outlet, Organista also taught health at Horizonte High School.
Oranista is currently scheduled to appear before a judge in May for sentencing. Prosecutors recommended that Organista serve 15 years in federal prison and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
