Former UVU professor of criminal justice arrested in a sexual child exploitation investigation  

On Aug. 3, former UVU professor Dan Waddington was arrested on one charge of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and ten other charges related to the possession of child pornography.  

The charges include images and a video he had taken himself.    

The investigation into Waddington was sparked after he had allegedly been caught attempting to secretly film a 13-year-old girl as she showered. According to the police booking affidavit, the person later responsible for reporting him allegedly found what they suspected to be child pornography on his laptop. That person confronted Waddington who admitted he had a “problem.” The complainant then gave the laptop and phone to the police, who opened an investigation into the claims.  

During the investigation, the American Fork Police Department found around 300 images of child pornography on his personal device, including a recording of a naked 13-year-old girl in a bathroom. The video was deleted when he was caught but was recovered in the investigation. Investigators also recovered a photo in what seems to be a UVU classroom with the camera pointed up at an individual’s dress or skirt.   

Waddington had worked for UVU as an adjunct professor for six years. During his time, he was well-respected and liked, according to student reviews on the Rate My Professor website. Waddington had also previously worked as a Long Beach law enforcement officer for over 25 years and as a federal employee for the Department of Homeland Security.  

According to the American Fork Police Department, Waddington interacted regularly with children as a board member in the Second Chance 4 Youth program, which provides opportunities for at-risk youth. However, Second Chance 4 Youth issued a statement on Aug. 4 via their Facebook page condemning the alleged actions of Waddington and clarifying that he had not been an active participant for over two years with no interactions with the program’s youth. The organization further declared that they will fully cooperate with the investigation. 

If any student has had any contact with Dan Waddington that resulted in inappropriate conduct or abuse, please contact the American Fork Police Department at (801) 763-3020.    

If students are ever in need of police assistance on campus, they can call campus police at (801) 863-5555. The police can also be contacted via email at [email protected] to report any incident or crime. Students can also visit their office in the Gunther Technology building, room 311.