George Zinn, a 71-year-old Utah man who falsely claimed to have shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been charged with possessing child sexual abuse material after investigators found more than 20 explicit images on his phone.

George Zinn, a 71-year-old Utah man who made headlines last week for falsely claiming responsibility in the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk,

is now facing separate criminal charges after investigators discovered sexually exploitative material involving children on his cell phone.

Authorities announced Monday that Zinn has been charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following a search that revealed more than 20 graphic images of children, some as young as five years old.

The troubling discovery was made during the ongoing investigation into the high-profile shooting of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA who was killed on September 10 at Utah Valley University during a stop on his American Comeback Tour.

Kirk was fatally struck by a single bullet to the neck while addressing a packed auditorium of students and supporters, sparking chaos on the campus.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Zinn approached police officers on the scene and shouted, “I shot him, now shoot me,” according to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. Officers quickly subdued and detained the elderly man, who was unarmed at the time.

Investigators later determined that Zinn had no involvement in the killing but had deliberately made the false confession in what he later described as an attempt to create a diversion for the actual shooter, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

Robinson, who was arrested after a 30-hour manhunt, has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice.

Authorities say there is no evidence linking Robinson and Zinn in a conspiracy, but prosecutors accuse Zinn of obstructing justice and hindering law enforcement’s initial response by misleading officers at a critical moment.

It was during Zinn’s detention that investigators obtained his cell phone, with his consent, and found disturbing material unrelated to the shooting.

According to the sheriff’s office, federal and state agents reviewing the device discovered numerous images of prepubescent girls who were partially undressed and posed in sexually explicit ways.

A subsequent search warrant granted Monday revealed at least 20 such images along with multiple graphic text conversations in which Zinn allegedly shared the illegal content with others.

In a chilling admission, Zinn allegedly told investigators that he derived sexual gratification from viewing and sharing such material and that his preferred age range for victims was between 5 and 12 years old.

Sheriff’s officials described the findings as “deeply disturbing” and confirmed that Zinn remains in custody at the Utah County Jail while awaiting further court proceedings.

The arrest marks a shocking turn for a man who, while not widely known nationally, has long been a familiar presence in Utah’s political scene.

Local officials described Zinn as a political gadfly who routinely appeared at rallies, protests, and public meetings, often provoking confrontations and occasionally being removed from events.

“Almost every political event you can think of, there was always George somewhere in the background, listening,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Zinn has accumulated a record of minor offenses including trespassing but had never faced accusations of this severity before.

Authorities now say his behavior on September 10 compounded the tragedy of Kirk’s assassination. By shouting that he was the gunman, Zinn not only misdirected resources but also introduced confusion at the chaotic scene as officers attempted to assess the threat.

“His false admission wasted critical time and manpower during an active shooter response,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Kirk’s killing itself has reverberated far beyond Utah. The conservative commentator, known for founding Turning Point USA and emerging as a vocal ally of former President Donald Trump,

was considered one of the most prominent figures among younger conservative activists. His death has sparked widespread mourning in Republican circles.

Trump has called for Robinson, the alleged shooter, to face the death penalty, while Vice President JD Vance personally accompanied Kirk’s body aboard Air Force Two back to Arizona.

Kirk’s funeral is scheduled for September 21 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, with Trump expected to attend.

Robinson, the man accused of pulling the trigger, is a Utah Valley University student with no prior criminal record.

Authorities say he was captured in part due to communications intercepted between him and a roommate, who has been described as transgender, though police stressed that the roommate has not been charged in connection with the crime.

Robinson is being held without bail pending trial, and prosecutors have signaled they will pursue the most severe penalties available under Utah law.

Meanwhile, the revelation of Zinn’s alleged possession of child sexual abuse material has only deepened the sense of outrage.

Community leaders in Utah described the charges as a betrayal of trust from an older man who presented himself as a political participant, albeit a disruptive one.

Legal experts noted that if convicted, Zinn could face decades in prison, though his advanced age raises questions about whether he would ever serve a full sentence.

The overlapping cases illustrate how the killing of Charlie Kirk continues to send shockwaves through Utah and beyond. What began as a straightforward murder investigation has now uncovered secondary crimes that have horrified both law enforcement and the public.

For now, officials stress that the two cases remain separate: Robinson is charged as the assassin, while Zinn faces both obstruction charges tied to his false confession and the new counts of child exploitation.

As preparations continue for Kirk’s funeral in Arizona, supporters across the nation have paid tribute to the conservative activist as a rising political star whose life was cut short at just 31 years old. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.

In contrast, Zinn’s arrest casts a darker shadow on the already tragic episode, underscoring how the chaotic moments after the shooting revealed more than anyone could have imagined about a man long known on the fringes of Utah’s political landscape.

With both suspects in custody and court proceedings underway, attention now turns to the trial of Tyler Robinson and the prosecution of George Zinn,

each case carrying heavy consequences for the individuals involved and the broader political climate still reeling from Kirk’s violent death.