Competency hearing scheduled for man with history of allegations of sexual misconduct involving children

SALT LAKE CITY — Jonathan Soberanis, who has been charged five times in state court with sex crimes involving children and has never been convicted due to issues of legal capacity, has been scheduled for his first federal legal capacity hearing.

That hearing is scheduled for March 12-14, 2025, nearly three years after he was charged in Third Judicial District Court with 21 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony involving child pornography.

In September 2022, the case was brought to federal court, with the prosecution charging Soberanis with distribution of child pornography and transportation of child pornography.

The decision to postpone the hearing was influenced by the defense’s request to include evaluations from two new experts: a neuropsychologist and a developmental cognitive-behavioral specialist, court documents said.

These assessments will be presented at Soberanis’s competency hearing, and may be an evaluation already conducted by a federal expert.

Expert analysis and legal implications

In five previous cases, state-appointed evaluators have consistently found him incompetent, citing various diagnoses including autism, ADHD and major depressive disorder. That finding led a judge to dismiss the case without prejudice.

The progress of the federal case now depends on these upcoming evaluations.

The upcoming hearing has far-reaching implications, as a finding of legal capacity could lead to a lawsuit or potentially impact the reconsideration of previous dismissals.

Timeline of incidents

Jonathan Soberanis has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct involving children. His criminal record includes multiple charges ranging from indecent assault to aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

• June 26, 2015: Soberanis was accused of masturbating at the Lehi Legacy Center and was subsequently expelled from the facility. He later pleaded guilty to indecent assault. It is unclear whether this case involved children. The details of the case remain confidential.
• April 21, 2018: Soberanis was accused of exposing himself to a child at the Shops at South Town Mall. The child’s mother took a photo of him, prompting Soberanis to knock the phone out of her hand and push her to the ground before fleeing, according to police records. He was charged with indecent exposure of a child, assault and a crime of violence committed in the presence of a child. He was found incompetent to stand trial and the charges were dropped without prejudice on Aug. 13, 2019.
• December 16, 2018: Soberanis was accused of looking under a locker room at the West Valley Fitness Center, where he allegedly saw an 8-year-old boy. When the boy’s father confronted him, Soberanis allegedly pushed the father to the ground and kicked him in the chest, the police report said. Bodycam footage showed Soberanis admitting to masturbating while watching the boy. On June 11, 2021, Soberanis was found not competent and his charges of lewdness and assault were dismissed without prejudice.
• June 1, 2021: Soberanis was accused of assaulting a 5-year-old boy at the Lehi Legacy Center. He was charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, indecent assault of a child, assault by a prisoner, and two counts of assault on a police officer. Body camera footage showed Soberanis overturning a table as officers attempted to arrest him at his home the next day. He was found not competent and the charges were dropped without prejudice on August 5, 2021.
• January 11, 2022: Soberanis was accused of peering into the windows of neighbors, including the home of a 7-year-old boy. He was arrested for voyeurism. A judge found him incompetent but ordered restorative treatment. On March 1, 2023, after this treatment, he was again found incompetent to stand trial and his charges were dropped without prejudice.
• March 23, 2022: Soberanis was arrested on 21 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony involving child pornography. Digital evidence suggested he obtained these images between August 2020 and March 2022. The case was made a federal case and is currently pending in court. His competency hearing is scheduled for November.

Have you experienced something that you think is wrong? The KSL investigators want to help. Send your tip to [email protected] or call 385-707-6153 and we can get to work for you.

If you have experienced sexual violence, you can get help and resources by calling Utah’s 24-Hour Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-801-736-4356 (English) or 1-801-924-0860 (Spanish). You can also call Rape Recovery Center Office Line during office hours at 801-467-7282 or the National Sexual Abuse Hotline Call 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential advice.