Judge who allegedly had a relationship with an accused child predator and let him out on bail is now accused of similar crimes

[u/Seetruthtv]

A Utah judge was put on unpaid leave after police accused him of committing several sex crimes involving children. The next day, a former fire chief from the same locality was charged with similar crimes. But court documents revealed an even deeper connection between the two men.

Ned Brady Hansen, 54, was charged on Tuesday (11/03/2025) with eight counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. When Hansen was first arrested on Jan. 27 — when he was still Tremonton’s fire chief — investigators working his case asked a judge to hold him in custody without bail due to the nature of his alleged crimes.

That judge, Kevin Christensen, 64, let Hansen go free.

On Monday, Christensen was charged with seven felony sex crimes involving children and obstructing justice. And according to an affidavit for Hansen’s arrest, the two men had been engaged in a “sexual relationship,” KSL reported.

Both men were investigated by police for alleged interactions on a chat app called Kik. Hansen came to the attention of investigators in November 2024 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was alerted to Kik being used to distribute child sex abuse material. Investigators eventually allegedly connected one user account on the app to Hansen, who reportedly admitted to being the account user and possessing materials featuring children.