LOGAN — A 26-year-old Hyde Park man has been sentenced to prison for soliciting an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old online last spring.
According to court records, Jonathan Scott Erickson was sentenced April 27 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
Prosecutors said the investigation into Erickson began in March 2025 when a deputy with the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office engaged in an undercover chat on the social media app “Sessions.” The deputy communicated with a user, later identified as Erickson, who used the screen name “Vapegod 253.”
Erickson was informed the deputy was 13 years old but indicated he was comfortable communicating with someone that age. Investigators report Erickson initiated sexual conversations and requested the deputy join a three-way chat with another individual identified as “Ashley.”
During the exchange, Erickson sent a naked photograph of himself. The user “Ashley” subsequently sent a video depicting a young female, estimated to be 14 or 15 years old, performing sexual acts. Police say Erickson continued the conversation after “Ashley” left the chat and requested to meet the undercover agent for sex. A meeting was scheduled for April 12, 2025, but Erickson did not appear.
Deputies identified Erickson through a facial photograph he sent during the online correspondence. On Feb. 11, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant at Erickson’s residence in Hyde Park and took him into custody without incident.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Spencer Walsh ordered Erickson to serve a term of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison, giving credit for time already served. It will be up to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to determine when he is released.