Northland man who supported banning books in schools charged with child molestation
A Northland man who had been in support of the push to ban books showing sexual content from district libraries is charged with child molestation.
Clay County prosecutors charged Ryan Utterback on Dec. 14. He was also charged with misdemeanors for attempting to furnish pornographic material to a minor. Utterback’s next court date is March 10, according to court records.
KMBC first reported the charges against Utterback, who spoke to the TV station expressing support for banning books in schools that depict sexual content.
“Those conversations are to be had at home and only I have the intimate understanding of what is and isn’t appropriate for my children,” Utterback told KMBC after a Nov. 22 school board meeting where North Kansas City students spoke against the banning.
Utterback was also present at an Oct. 26 school board meeting where a Northland Parent Association showed up to rally against certain books that were available at school libraries.
As a member of the group spoke to the Board, Utterback stood next to them holding poster boards of enlarged pages of the book “Fun home,” a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, which revolves around Bechdel’s adolescence, where she explored her sexuality and family dynamics.
David Bell, Utterback’s attorney, declined to comment.
The charges
On Dec. 25, 2020, a family member of Utterback’s reported to police that their 11-year-old daughter had been molested by Utterback. According to charging documents, the young girl was lying on a bed when Utterback walked in and fondled her. He then allegedly sat up, grabbed her and rubbed her body against his, the probable cause statement obtained by The Star read.
The probable cause statement alleges other instances where Utterback inappropriately touched a minor as well. In one incident Utterback is accused of placing 12-year-old girl on his lap and asking whether she was ticklish. The girl, according to the court documents, said yes and Utterback started tickling her sides. He then touched her under her clothes, the probable cause statement said.
On another occasion, Utterback and a 14-year-old girl went to get tacos. She sat in the passengers seat of his truck and at some point during the drive Utterback started rubbing her leg under her jeans, according to the documents.
The 14-year-old said, “it felt uncomfortable and that she didn’t like it at all,” according to court documents .
Another probable cause statement alleges Utterback showed the daughter of his girlfriend videos of people having sex on his phone. Events related to that incident started when the girl was 4 years old, according to the court document.
On one occasion, Utterback showed her videos of him and her mom “naked having sex,” the probable cause statement said.
