Saratoga Springs man arrested for enticing a minor during undercover operation

LEHI, Utah (ABC4) — A Saratoga Springs man has been arrested and charged for enticing and attempting to meet with an undercover detective posing as a 17-year-old girl.

David Alan Swick, 49, has been charged with attempted forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony; enticing a minor, a second-degree felony; and attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony.

In July 2025, an undercover detective with the Lehi City Police Department began posing as a 17-year-old girl on an app used for “hookups.” The account received a message from another user, later identified as Swick, and a conversation started up.

The conversation moved to Telegram, a private messaging app, where the 17-year-old’s age was confirmed, and Swick said he would “wait until she was 18 so no one would get into trouble.”

Over the next several months, Swick would “sporadically” re-engage with the undercover detective until February 2026, when he asked how the girl’s 18th birthday was. The detective, responding as the teen, stated that she was still 17, and her birthday was next January.

Swick allegedly continued messaging the account, saying they could just be friends until she turned 18. However, he began asking for provocative pictures and discussing what they would do when she was a legal adult.

At one point, the undercover detective stated that the 17-year-old was at school, and Swick asked her to go to a bathroom stall and take an explicit picture for him. He also asked about the teen’s school schedule and suggested meeting up, even saying that he could pose as a “friend’s dad” to get her out of school early.

The undercover detective gave Swick several “outs,” asking whether it was a good idea and disengaging from the conversation until Swick contacted the account again. Eventually, Swick made plans to meet with the 17-year-old to “bring you a Monster [energy drink], maybe give you a massage.”

Swick stated that he would give “straddle” the teen and give her a back, leg, and “booty” massage. He asked whether she had cameras at her house, and asked her to send him a message when her mom left so he could sneak in.

Before the meeting, Swick stated that they would not have sex, but could engage in some relations that would not lead to pregnancy. He asked whether the 17-year-old had massage oil, and stated that lotion would work when she said no.

When Swick arrived at the meeting location, Lehi City Police officers placed him under arrest.

“C’mon, man, I thought you guys could be cool about this and not arrest me,” he reportedly stated as officers handcuffed him.

Swick was booked into the Utah County Jail, where he is being held without bail.

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