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George Zinn Gets Up to 15 Years for False Claim in Kirk Shooting, Child Exploitation

His plea deal reduced charges, leaving the parole board to decide how long he serves.

Overview

  • Zinn, 71, pleaded no contest to a reduced third-degree obstruction of justice charge and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
  • Judge Thomas Low imposed concurrent terms of two one-to-15-year sentences for the exploitation counts and zero-to-five years for obstruction.
  • Court records say Zinn repeatedly yelled, “I shot him, now shoot me,” in the minutes after Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University, diverting officers from securing the scene.
  • Investigators obtained a warrant for Zinn’s phone and found child sexual abuse material, which he had shared in chats, according to charging documents.
  • Prosecutors dropped two exploitation counts as part of the plea agreement, and a separate capital murder case against Tyler James Robinson continues.