Nephi Man Sentenced For Sex Tourism

A Nephi man has been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for his connection to sex tourism and child pornography. According to an indictment, Kenneth Merlin Richens was suspected to have participated in sex tourism after returning from the Philippines on Mar. 30 2023. The indictment also stated Richens was searched at the border, and his phone was found to contain child sex abuse materials, with metadata showing that he had those files before traveling abroad. It also stated that he participated in an international charity organization that provides educational support to children in Cambodia and the Philippines, which brings him in contact with children susceptible to sexual abuse. According to charging documents, Richens pled guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony and eight other counts were dismissed with prejudice.