Missing Arizona girl found in basement of convicted Utah sex offender on parole

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A missing girl from Arizona has been found in the basement of a Utah man’s home. The man, who is listed on the state’s sex offender registry and was on probation, has been arrested.

Jordan Sorenson, 26, was on probation with Utah Adult Probation and Parole at the time of his arrest for a 2020 conviction of first-degree felony aggravated sexual extortion of a child. He was was sentenced for up to five years but that sentence was suspended and he was given four years of probation.

According to a press release from the Utah Department of Corrections, a new investigation was opened after AP&P agents received information from Arizona officials about a possible connection between the missing girl and Sorenson. In that case, prosecutors said Sorensen was communicating with a 13-year-old girl, demanding explicit pictures and then threatening to post them.

At the time, he was on probation in Utah on a compact from Colorado on kidnapping charges.

In the current case, after the Arizona tip on Utah’s convicted sex offender on probation, Sorenson was found at work and taken to his residence in West Valley City.

“Agents then searched the home, locating the missing juvenile in the basement,” the release stated. The girl was said to be with a victim’s advocate from the Utah Attorney General’s Office. Police said video from a probation officer in Arizona showed the girl being picked up by Sorenson’s vehicle, according to KSL.com.

“AP&P agents conducted a search of Mr. Sorenson’s bedroom where multiple receipts were found. One of the receipts was (from a store in) Kingman, Arizona. There was also an invoice from Motel 6 in Kingman, Arizona, with a Jordan Sorenson’s name on it as well. Mr. Sorenson is believed to have left the state without permission and kidnapped a 14-year-old minor which he then brought back to his residence in Utah,” the AP&P warrant states.

A warrant for probation violation on Feb. 1 sates one of the conditions of his parole includes “no contact with children under 18 unless approved by AP&P.” The new warrant, issued for the probation violation, is for no-bail.

Sorenson faces new criminal charges with the AG’s human trafficking unit, according to the release.