GRAND COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A former Grand County corrections deputy has been charged on Monday, Jan. 30, after allegedly taking and sharing an inappropriate photo of an inmate last year.

Ronald Frederick Eugene Dolphin, 27, of Moab is charged in the Seventh Judicial District Court in Grand County with third-degree sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

According to a search warrant affidavit, Dolphin had either taken a photo or recorded a video of a “mentally deficient” inmate in Grand County Jail while he was doing a sexually compromising act last year. The corrections officer then shared the material with a coworker through Snapchat.

Dolphin had allegedly recorded or photographed the inmate from a monitor inside the Grand County Dispatch Center.

When questioned by law enforcement, Dolphin reportedly admitted to distributing an image of the inmate to a colleague.

The Millard County Sherriff’s Office received a request to investigate this case on Sept. 29, 2022, from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, whose officers were unable to launch an investigation due to a conflict of interest.

In a press release, representatives from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office said today Dolphin was placed on administrative leave immediately after his behavior was reported.

Dolphin resigned in lieu of termination, the press release states.

An internal affairs investigation was also conducted, and the findings will reportedly be forwarded to “appropriate authorities” at the Peace Officer Standards and Training Division.