Drug bust leads police to child pornography, assault, domestic violence

Garrett Taylor attempted to escape custody at Purgatory Correctional Facility after he was initially arrested for driving under the influence and driving with a revoked driver's license.

LAVERKIN — LaVerkin Police were dispatched to a home at 9:45 p.m. on Monday for possible drug possession, but found more than initially suspected.

The call specified 154 West 500 North, Unit 2, in LaVerkin. In the unit, the police found Erin Cox, 33, and Jaycee Stewart, 22, LaVerkin Detective Travis Romney said. Cox was immediately arrested for possession of methamphetamine and a drug paraphernalia charge. Cox was checked into Washington County’s Purgatory Correctional Facility at 10:17 p.m. and her charges carry a bail that was listed at $11,943.

Stewart was intoxicated but not under the influence of any other drugs and was allowed to return home, Romney said. At home, according to the probable cause statement filed in connection with the arrest, Stewart said he drank an entire bottle of rum and passed out. While Cox was being booked into jail, the LaVerkin police were then called by Stewart’s wife, Tayler Stewart, and dispatched to a family fight between the two at the same address. The wife initially thought Stewart and Cox were having an affair, Romney said, and went through Stewart’s phone for proof of the supposed affair and instead found child pornography.

The wife woke up Stewart and they fought Stewart said, as related in the probable cause statement. Then the wife said that Stewart assaulted her, started punching the walls and broke and cracked a window which cut his hand, Romney said. Then, Stewart said he went outside because he had “enough of her yelling” and got into his truck.

LaVerkin Police were able to stop Stewart before he could leave the complex. Stewart was bleeding and could barely stand, Romney said. At the jail, his blood alcohol level was found to be .195 on the intoxilyzer, the probable cause statement said.

In the home, Stewart had two children who were awake during the incident, Romney said. The child pornography found was of very young children, he said, but were not of Stewart’s own children.

Stewart was arrested at 12:24 a.m. on Tuesday for a DUI, sexual exploitation of a minor, domestic violence in the presence of two children, criminal mischief and assault. Stewart is being held at Purgatory. His charges carry a bail listed at $16,720.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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24 Comments

  • truth February 25, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    I wonder if these people were born and raised in southern utah?

    • Bub February 25, 2014 at 4:08 pm

      Maybe Oklahoma or Mississippi…

  • propaganda February 25, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Obviously not enough church, except maybe the getting drunk at home part and porn

  • Donna February 25, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Not enough church does not matter… most people only sit in church because they are taught to….not because they believe why they are there in the first place. After 20 years of watching this happen…it’s the truth.

  • Jaybird February 25, 2014 at 7:49 pm

    Utah is #1 spot in the nation for watching porn.

    • JOSH DALTON February 26, 2014 at 8:54 am

      Its also at the top of the list for people who PAY for porn. My thing is…who the hell pays for porn anymore. When you start paying for porn you have a problem. There is a plethora of ponagrapy that is free. It gets the job done just as well as ponagraphy that you have to pay for. GO FALCONS!

    • Bretticus March 13, 2014 at 11:09 am

      Well, if anyone ever took time to read the study, Edelman (the publisher) states…

      “Who buys online adult entertainment? From a top-10 seller of adult entertainment, I obtained a list of the zip codes associated with all credit card subscriptions for approximately two years, 2006–2008. While it is difficult to confirm rigorously that this seller is representative, the seller runs literally hundreds of sites offering a broad range of adult entertainment.”

      READ THAT AGAIN…, “…While it is difficult to confirm rigorously
      that this seller is representative…”

      More lies. This came right after prop 8. Just another excuse for bigots to bash “Utah.”

  • Flabap February 25, 2014 at 9:11 pm

    I wonder why STG news found it proper to list the victim’s information in this. No ethics in Journalism anymore.

    • Joanna February 26, 2014 at 10:03 am

      They didn’t list any victim information. Just the offenders’.

      • Flabap February 26, 2014 at 9:21 pm

        The victim of the Domestic violence. Not the pornography.

  • Jane Doe February 26, 2014 at 3:23 am

    According to the facebook comments on this article, His wife was aware of another instance where he had child pornography and obviously did not report it. Although it is a disgusting crime i also find it appalling that she wouldn’t have reported it the FIRST time that she found it, and that she would continue to let her children be around him.

    • sorrynotsorry February 27, 2014 at 1:07 pm

      How about cuz the wife is a crazy … out to get back at him for leaving her. She is just out spreading lies to get him in trouble. I love how this world is becoming so effing judgemental. NOT. Please take in to fact that you don’t know what is going on before you start judging someone.

      Ed. ellipsis

  • JOSH DALTON February 26, 2014 at 8:49 am

    WE NEED CHRIS HANSON!!!

  • Coffeelarge February 26, 2014 at 9:31 am

    White trash at its finest.

  • that guy February 26, 2014 at 4:04 pm

    Wake up Southren Utah is not that quaint lil sleepy village anymore.
    Drugs are everywhere and you can get anything you want even trade your child for a lil bit of drugs. Sad but true stop acting like your in shock to be just finding this out. Pull your head out of the sand (or somewhere else ) and look around. If you see smothing say something! Just ignoring it will not make it go away!

  • debbie February 26, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    SRRSLY? YOU PEOPLE “wonder if this is southern utah?” maybe oklahoma or missississsippi ? OMG! Not enough CHURCH! 1st. just because people from the south have southern accents doesn’t mean they are inbred.. 2. Not enough church? SRRSLY how many children are exploited because of religion???? 3. YOU MEAN NOT ENOUGH JESUS! the building is nothing.. the church is the people.. JESUS IS THE ANSWER!!!!

  • traceyy March 2, 2014 at 2:55 am

    Ive known jay for 17 years. Practically growing up. For one this article does not match up to the event and is infact 5 stories correlated into one. Second jay is not like they decribed. He is no sex offender. Loves his children as a real father would. Doesnt drive a truck. And did no damage to anything. This story is bs. Curse you for writing something you know nothing about. His wife is jealous and immature and tries framing him every chance she gets. Shes not even a nurturing mother to her kids (ive seen it). Tayler has more issues than any female ive ever gotten to know. Now wait for the trial…

    • friend May 4, 2014 at 2:49 am

      u don’t no taylor at all! O ya drinking is a great parent! Tell that to the judge! U didfnt see his phone u don’t no there relationship don’t u live in nevada. I was told jay went to see you a lot! Just for spice. Read his texts that would help

  • friend May 4, 2014 at 2:35 am

    That is not all tru lol… he didn’t have a truck it was a honda car…. an the wife did not think they were having an affair… an he didn’t go outside to hear her stop yelling… she was crying asking why he did that she wanted to b a family… but he didn’t want to he is shredded by miniors and likes a coworker who works at the wifes job, an she is 17! And he tried to report the pornography… but police had to have a warrant and stewart knows how to word things properly due to classes… he was training to become an officer but his back ground was ful of wrong… an the wife kept kids away from him she thought he changed after he promised… but everybody lies she tried but he is the sicko

  • friend May 4, 2014 at 2:47 am

    * addicted to not shredded *she tried… she really tried to work it out tho, she bawled at the store bcuz she was confused when ur minipulated an mentally an physically abused u don’t know… ppl who had been thru that gets it…at least she keft the second time an not the 3-9 time lik some people… she is happy without him protective orders on again… he still calls an txts an noone will do anything… but she isn’t answerin an playin his games she moved on an is happier she doesn’t get the fist or the blowing up the phone if she is at mommy and me a mom group where moms and kids get together. She has a vm of him freaking out, but she will find a guy she is in no rush but I hope she has better pregnancies and a better life… she was suppose to be on bed rest with her second child he didn’t like that he wanted her to work, an when she did he git the money he pawned her stuff wirk pregnasnt and hard, walking home late at night cuz he was past out, and they lived on the hill… she called me a lot when she wanted away an he would blow up her phone and mine… he said she lost my number so I gave it to him, he blew my phone up wanting me to go out with him, I had kids already he didn’t care. He wanted a baby with a 16 yr old she jus had there first… I’m so close to her I could tell everything he is a sick boy an she is a great mother never left her kids alone with him. Were not clise lik we use to since she doesn’t need to run but still. I’m proud of her a lot of people respect her!

    • anonymous July 9, 2014 at 12:55 am

      She’s left him alone with the kids several times. So that wasnt a true statement.

  • friend May 4, 2014 at 2:57 am

    She left him not he left her he wants her home, we have proof in vms n texts

  • friend May 4, 2014 at 2:59 am

    Taylor is not the only girl that went thru this his past is full!!! Some people need to know there friends more wisely.

  • JOSH DALTON July 9, 2014 at 8:55 am

    Why in most cases is it the guys fault? We all know how women can drive most men to the breaking point. Most of the time the woman in the relationship knows just the right buttons to push. Well she got what she wanted. Time away from her husband. Now what? She runs off with his best friend or neighbor. Then files for welfare to take care of the kids.

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