father of 3 charged with child abuse and child torture for taking kids aged 2, 4, and 8 on Utah mtn hike during a storm

'Extremely selfish' dad charged with taking young kids on dangerous hike that ended in a rescue

SOUTH JORDAN — A father who was rescued along with his three young children from Big Cottonwood Canyon in October after they were caught in a winter storm while hiking is now facing felony charges accusing him of child torture.

Investigators say he made his children continue with that dangerous hike even though they were not experienced, were not properly equipped and the weather conditions had dramatically changed.

Micah Smith, 32, of South Jordan, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with three counts of child torture and three counts of aggravated child abuse, all first-degree felonies.

"What seemed like an innocent hike with his three children quickly turned into a nightmare when the defendant chose to summit a mountain over the safety of the kids. The defendant refused to turn around when their mom told him to turn around and get the children home," charging documents state. "During the 24-hour ordeal, the victims expressed that they were cold, tired and wanted to go home. The defendant, who is supposed to be the protector of his children, was ill-prepared and extremely selfish."

https://www.ksl.com/article/51411042/extremely-selfish-dad-charged-with-taking-young-kids-on-dangerous-hike-that-ended-in-a-rescue

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Smith and his three children, ages 2, 4, and 8, went hiking in the Broads Fork Trail, and were later reported missing by family after the group failed to return and troubling text messages between Smith and his wife.

"Not an easy hike that you would take a child upon,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

The group was finally discovered the next morning by first responders, with all four being transported to the hospital, where the 4-year-old boy remains. Search and rescue team members noted that Smith was "behaving oddly and did not appear to be concerned about the children" when the family was found, and that he told the team that "one of his children was dead."

According to the indictment, when the group was found on the trail, the children were standing alongside a boulder with a few sticks stacked against it to provide wind cover. It was noted that the children were not wearing much clothing, and the 2-year-old was underneath the 4-year-old.

Rescuers said that when they arrived, the 4-year-old was mostly exposed, unconscious, and appeared lifeless at the time of the rescue, with first responders detecting no pulse. While being rushed to the hospital, officers performed 25 minutes of CPR on the child. Upon arrival at the hospital, the core body temperature of the boy was 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and he later suffered a stroke and needed to have a portion of his skull removed.

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/utah-father-who-went-missing-with-3-children-on-hike-charged-with-child-torture-abuse
.

A Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputy wrote in charging documents that Smith was “extremely selfish” when he chose to push his three children — ages 2, 4, and 8 years old — to summit a mountain on Broads Fork Trail in October, rather than protecting them and turning around when storm clouds rolled in.

Instead, the deputy wrote, Smith insisted that they move forward, and allegedly told his oldest daughter that this was a “once-in-a-lifetime thing,” and when she said she was scared, he told her, “You shall not pass.”

----------

Charging records say Smith and his children took shelter at around 8 p.m. that evening, under a large rock with an overhang. Smith said he gathered “logs, sticks and rocks to make a windscreen,” put pine needles down and tried to use his body to keep his children warm.

His 2-year-old son had fallen and hit his head before they took shelter, and at one point the toddler stopped breathing, Smith allegedly told investigators. Smith said he performed CPR on his two young sons through the night, and at one point taught his older daughter how to do chest compressions so she could help the boys while he left them in the morning to find help.

They later retraced the family’s hike, and the deputy wrote they traveled more than 6.5 miles and had gained 3,160 feet of elevation climbing through shifting rocks and thorny bushes.

Investigators asked a judge to hold Smith in jail without bail, noting that since the rescue, he has been charged with domestic violence and was told to leave Primary Children’s Hospital for trespassing, after “interfering” with his 4-year-old’s care and “tampering with equipment.”

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/11/26/dad-charged-with-child-torture/