By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had arrested 48-year-old Virgil Allen Marcum, who is accused of allegedly engaging in illegal activities involving a minor.

Marcum was taken into custody without incident on Tuesday and booked into the Carbon County Jail. He faces four counts of enticing a minor, two counts of aiding and abetting a minor in the distribution of material harmful to minors and two counts of distribution of harmful materials to a minor.

According to a press release from the CCSO, the charges follow a comprehensive investigation, with evidence gathered during the investigation leading to the subsequent arrest and charges.

“Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Sheriff Jeff Wood in the release. “The exploitation of children, whether through direct contact or the distribution of harmful materials, will be met with the full force of the law.”

Following the arrest, authorities are working closely with the Carbon County Attorney’s office as the case unfolds.

The arrest continues the work of the CCSO in the battle against child exploitation. In April of 2024, the department played a role in ‘Operation Hive Strike’, which saw a statewide network of officers conduct 15 arrests for a variety of charges, including sexual exploitation of a minor, dealing in harmful materials to a minor, enticing a minor, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

No further information has been released at this time.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.