Ryan Utterback, 29, of Gladstone also faces two other charges
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —A Gladstone man, who recently spoke in support of banning books from North Kansas City School District libraries that depicted sexual acts, is facing a felony charge of second-degree child molestation and a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree domestic assault.
Ryan Utterback, 29, is also facing a misdemeanor charge of furnishing pornographic material or attempting to furnish to a minor in a separate case.
Utterback did not answer questions about the charges from KMBC 9 Investigates on Thursday as he showed up to the Clay County Courthouse for a hearing. Utterback’s attorney, David Bell, declined to comment about the charges.
In the first case, a probable cause statement alleges Utterback laid down on a bed with a child less than 12 and fondled the child in December of 2020. The child told investigators Utterback placed the child on his lap, where he proceeded to move the child’s body against his while touching the child’s thighs, according to the probable cause statement. In the same case, but in a separate incident in September of 2020, Utterback stuck his finger through a ripped hole in a teenager’s jeans and started rubbing on the teenager’s leg, according to the probable cause statement. The teenager told investigators it felt uncomfortable, and that the teenager “didn’t like it at all,” the probable cause statement said.
A separate case alleges Utterback started showing videos sexual in nature on his cellphone to a young child around the time the child was 4 years old, according to a probable cause statement.
KMBC 9 Investigates started looking into Utterback’s case after sources told KMBC he spoke in November against books in North Kansas City school libraries showing sexual acts.
School board members that evening listened to students who spoke in favor of not banning books from libraries.
“You know, I definitely understand their struggles. It’s not lost on me,” Utterback told KMBC. “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 also stood at an October North Kansas City School District board meeting holding enlarged drawings of sexual acts depicted in the book ‘Fun Home’.
Utterback was standing beside Northland Parent Association president Jay Richmond as Richmond spoke against keeping that specific book in school libraries.
Richmond on Friday told KMBC:
“Ryan was an attendee at the board meeting, I needed help holding a presentation and he helped. I can’t comment on the alleged charges against him because I have no knowledge about them and they have nothing to do with me or the Northland Parent Association.”
Utterback is due in court again March 10.
Among the Fray 