Provo, UT – A man who caused a disturbance during last week’s shooting at Utah Valley University is now in jail after investigators say they found child sexual abuse material on his phone.
George Zinn was taken into custody on Wednesday after law enforcement alleged he admitted to using his phone to view and share illegal material involving minors. Zinn, who was at the event where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot, initially drew attention by yelling that he was the shooter — a claim he later told agents was meant to distract police and allow the real gunman to escape.
According to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, agents from the FBI and the Utah State Bureau of Investigation interviewed Zinn while he was hospitalized following the incident. During questioning, Zinn allegedly admitted to possessing explicit images of children and voluntarily gave investigators access to his phone. Detectives reported finding several images of prepubescent girls in sexual poses.
On Monday, a search warrant was obtained for Zinn’s device. Utah County Special Victims Unit investigators said they discovered more than 20 graphic images of children between the ages of 5 and 12, along with sexually explicit conversations where Zinn discussed sharing the content with others. Authorities said Zinn admitted his preferred victim age range was 5 to 12.
Zinn is being held in the Utah County Jail on two counts of felony obstruction of justice and four counts of felony sexual exploitation of a minor. Investigators stressed there is no evidence Zinn was directly involved in the shooting itself, beyond his disruptive behavior that diverted law enforcement attention from the actual suspect.
The investigation into both the shooting and the child exploitation charges remains ongoing.
Key Points
- George Zinn was arrested at Utah Valley University after claiming to be the shooter in the Charlie Kirk incident.
- Investigators say they later discovered over 20 child sexual abuse images on his phone.
- Zinn faces charges of felony obstruction of justice and felony sexual exploitation of a minor.
Law enforcement say the probe into Zinn’s alleged crimes is far from over.