A Missouri man who advocated for LGBTQ+ books and other literary works depicting sexual acts be banned from North Kansas City School District libraries is facing child molestation charges.
According to KMBC, Ryan Utterback, 29, is facing a felony charge of second-degree child molestation and a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree domestic assault. He’s also facing a misdemeanor charge of furnishing pornographic material or attempting to furnish to a minor in a separate case.
In December 2020, Utterback laid in bed and fondled a child younger than 12-years-old. He allegedly put the child on his lap then moved the child’s body against his while touching the child’s thigh, according to court documents. In a separate incident but still the same case Utterback stuck his finger through a hole in a teenager’s jeans and began rubbing the teenager’s thighs. The teenager told investigators it felt uncomfortable, and that the teenager “didn’t like it at all.”
In a different case, Utterback allegedly showed sexual videos to a 4-year-old.
Utterback was a vocal advocate for banning books in schools with sexual content. He was among the group of Northland parents who argued that the books were inappropriate for children a school board meeting in November.
Following the meeting, the school district removed two books from their libraries. The first, “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” George M. Johnson’s collection of personal essays that depict sexual situations among boys and sexual abuse, according to KMBC. The other, “Fun Home,” by Alison Bechdel’s which contained sexual acts with women and abuse. It was adapted into the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2015.
“I understand their struggles and it’s not lost on me,” Utterback said at the time. “But again those conversations are to be had at home, Only I have their intimate understanding as to what is and isn’t appreciated for my children.”
He is due back in court on March 10.
