ROY — A Roy police officer has been arrested and charged with five child sexual abuse offenses.

Charging documents said Ryan A. Estes, 38, allegedly abused a girl younger than 14 in Clinton and later in Roy. The alleged incidents occurred between May 2015 and May 2019, according to the charges. Documents said Estes had a position of trust with the girl.

“As soon as we found out about it, he was placed on leave,” Roy Police Department spokesperson Josh Taylor said Friday. He said Estes has been with the Roy department for five years.

In a prepared statement, Roy Police Chief Matthew Gwynn said the allegations against Estes were outside his official capacity as a police officer. He said Estes’ employment will be addressed as the department follows the criminal case.

Clinton police investigated the case.

The Davis County Attorney’s Office on Tuesday charged Estes with two counts of rape of a child and three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, all first-degree felonies. He is held without bail at the Davis County Jail in Farmington.

Estes, who was arrested Wednesday, had his first court appearance Friday. His attorney, Matthew Strickland, waived a preliminary hearing and a Nov. 4 arraignment hearing was set. Efforts to contact Strickland were not immediately successful.

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