LOGAN — A 31-year-old Logan man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexting with an undercover officer, posing as a teenage girl, according to law enforcement. James Christoff Vaterlaus was briefly booked into the Cache County Jail after police arrested him at his workplace.
According to the arrest affidavit, Vaterlaus began messaging an officer at the Logan City Police Department on June 28. The undercover officer was using an online mobile chat app, identifying themselves as a 13-year-old girl.
As the chats continued, Vaterlaus arranged to meet the officer for sex. He also described various illegal acts he wanted to engage in with the officer, the probable cause statement described.
Police report, Vaterlaus did not appear for the first arranged meeting but continued to message the officer. He also created several other user accounts to continue messaging and requesting to meet. Later, he failed to appear for a second planned meeting.
On Wednesday, police tracked Vaterlaus to his place of employment and arrested him on suspicion of enticing a minor. As officers explained they were taking him into custody, Vaterlaus spontaneously said he never met up with any girl. He was also seen by officers, deleting the chat app off his phone before being placed into handcuffs, according to court documents.
During questioning, Vaterlaus admitted to deleting the app and chatting with the undercover officer. He also consented to allow police to search his phone, where they verified that the app had been deleted.
Jail records show, Vaterlaus was booked on suspicion of three counts of enticing a minor, a second-degree felony; and obstruction of justice, a third-degree felony. He was later released on a $10,000 bond, while formal charges are pending.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.