Man arrested after allegedly following children home from Salt Lake school for more than a week

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who police say has been following three children walking home from school for about a week-and-a-half has been arrested.

Nicholas Jacob Muenchow, 33, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Monday for investigation of three counts of voyeurism against a child under the age of 14, interfering with an arresting officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police say for over a week, Muenchow has been following three children, ages 6, 10 and 12, as they walked home from school. He spoke to one child when the child fell, according to a police booking affidavit. The affidavit does not say where the interaction happened or if the children are boys or girls.

“(Muenchow) followed the three juvenile victims home from school (Monday) and went to the windows of their residence and peered into each of them, including the bedroom window of one of the victims,” the affidavit states.” (He) has been actively following three juveniles home from school for multiple days and approached their residence when they knew no parents were home.”

One of the children took a picture of Muenchow outside the window, police say. When officers arrived at the scene, he repeatedly resisted arrested by pulling away from them, according to the affidavit.

Police say they are worried about Muenchow’s escalating behavior. In October, he was arrested for investigation of lewdness for exposing himself at Pioneer Park. According to a police booking affidavit filed for that case, officers noted at the time of his arrest, Muenchow “has been arrested 27 times” since May 2022.

In August, he was arrested in South Salt Lake for allegedly following people to their cars and trying to get in, including one family with children, a booking affidavit states.

Police say Muenchow was also arrested in West Valley in 2022 for allegedly following a woman into her office and making sexually suggestive comments.