A Riverton employee was suspended without pay after an Internet sting allegedly caught him soliciting a 13-year-old for sex.

Thomas Brent Varney, a public works inspector for the city, is expected to be charged today with urging a child - an undercover agent, in this case - to meet him for sex.

A Utah Attorney General's Office agent arrested Varney on Monday after the two arranged to meet near 5900 South and 700 West in Murray. Varney arrived as planned. So did the undercover agent he chatted with online.

Authorities booked Varney into the Salt Lake County jail.

Investigators say Varney, 49, contacted an undercover agent posing as a teenage girl repeatedly over a nine-day period. He attempted to meet her for sex "on many occasions," according to a probable cause statement filed with the jail.

Riverton city officials have suspended Varney without pay. The man has worked for the city for 13 years, serving most recently as a public works inspector.

While Mayor Bill Applegarth describes Varney as hard-working and respected among his peers, he said the city will not show any leniency if the claims turn out to be true. He said officials would terminate Varney.

"We just can't tolerate this kind of a situation," he said.

Applegarth said Varney has faced no previous disciplinary action, nor given officials any reason for concern.

The mayor said Riverton city officials recently hired a computer specialist to act as a watchdog over Internet use - a move made prior to Varney's arrest. He said every government official and employee, including the mayor, will have their computers checked at random for pornography. Offenders will be fired.

Investigators say Varney has admitted to chatting with an underage girl online and to having child pornography on his home computer, according to the probable cause statement.

Applegarth said Riverton officials are cooperating with authorities and that he has no knowledge of any misdeeds in the workplace.

Varney's troubles come as a second whammy to Riverton, which lost its city manager to criminal charges in June. Riverton Manager Mark Cram pleaded guilty this month to voyeurism for an incident at a tanning salon involving a 16-year-old girl.

For his offense, Cram must pay court costs, perform 40 hours of community service and complete counseling and treatment with a psychologist.

jstettler@sltrib.com