A proposed plea agreement fell through Friday afternoon after Ryan Flatten failed to follow through with the guilty pleas as outlined in the agreement.
Flatten was arrested earlier this year in connection to clandestine videos he allegedly recorded in Sweetwater and Uinta Counties. The hearing Friday took place in District Court Judge Nena James’ court.
Flatten’s case involves two separate proceedings in Sweetwater County as well as one in Uinta County. Flatten faces 46 counts of felony voyeurism and two counts of sexual exploitation of children.
Each voyeurism charge carries with it a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. The two sexual exploitation of children charges carry a possible five to 12-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.
The plea agreement required Flatten to make guilty pleas to 15 counts of voyeurism, with four of the counts triggering the requirement for Flatten to register as a sex offender. Each count would carry with it a 15-18 month prison sentence that Flatten’s attorney, Donna Domonkos, could argue down. The county attorney’s office would have also been free to argue for Flatten’s sentence to be served consecutively. A consecutive sentencing requires an inmate to serve the sentence on each charge individually.
As part of a guilty plea, Flatten was required to answer questions posed to him by James.
“I think it’s important for him to give me a factual basis and tell me what he did,” James said during the hearing.
The first charge alleged Flatten placed a hidden camera in the bathroom of a residence in Green River, which Flatten said he did without the victim’s consent. He pled guilty to the charge.
Flatten also pled guilty to the seventh count of voyeurism, which alleged he had recorded video of an ex girlfriend while she was changing. Flatten said he did not receive consent to make the recording.
The next three charges, listed as counts eight, 12 and 13 alleges Flatten recorded people at an apartment complex on Bridger Drive through the building’s windows. Flatten said he taped people without their consent from his vehicle and admitted guilt to those charges.
Flatten also entered a guilty plea for count 16, which alleged he made a video of a woman at Festival in the Park last year, secretly filming up her skirt.
He then admitted guilt for counts 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, which took place at the same apartment complex as counts eight, 12 and 13. According to prosecuting attorney Lora Cooper, the videos were made from quite a distance and depicted people going about their business.
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When the court reached Count 25, which alleged Flatten had made recordings of a 13-year-old girl without her knowledge, he said he did not remember making the video.
The count was the first of four that would have required Flatten to register as a sex offender.
Flatten was shown the video in an attempt to jog his memory, but he said he could not remember making the video.
When asked why he would take a plea agreement to actions he does not remember doing, Domonkos said it was a way of clearing charges she did not agree with.
“He knows he’s guilty for quite a few of these,” she said.
Flatten also claimed to not remember the situations regarding the three other charges, which occurred at Flaming Gorge Days last year.
After a short discussion, Domonkos said Flatten would plead no contest to the final four charges.
Flatten said other people had access to his camera equipment, but Cooper raised concern that Flatten’s memory was failing him because the charges would cause him to register as a sex offender, which could later be appealed.
Flatten said he will plead guilty to charges he remembers committing.
“As long as I did it, I’ll remember, your honor,” Flatten told James.
The hearing ended with the plea agreement being rescinded and Flatten’s criminal trial scheduled to move forward.
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