LOGAN — A 53-year-old Logan man with a lengthy criminal history has admitted to driving to pick up someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl, who he had been sexting with, according to police. David Paul Tolman has been in the Cache County Jail since being arrested last summer, following a sting operation by undercover police officers.
According to court records, Tolman participated in a pretrial conference Monday, June 24, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He waived his right to a trial and accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to attempted sodomy on a child and attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, both first-degree felonies; and dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.
In exchange for Tolman’s plea, six remaining charges against him were dismissed.
According to prosecutors, Tolman began messaging a Logan City police officer, posing as a teenage girl, on an anonymous online chat application. He later provided his phone number to continue texting with the officer.
Throughout the exchanged messages, Tolman suggested meeting in person to engage in sexual activity. He described in graphic detail how he wanted to pick up the undercover officer and then take her to his residence so they could perform various sex acts.
Police report that during the communications, Tolman sent a naked photo of himself.
On July 21, 2023, Tolman drove to a designated location, where police officers were waiting. He was taken into custody without incident.
During questioning at the police department, Tolman admitted to texting with the undercover officer about meeting up. However, he claimed that he was not going to do anything.
Tolman has multiple convictions for drug possession during the past 11 years. The most recent case was in 2018.
During Monday’s court hearing, Judge Angela Fonnesbeck accepted Tolman’s plea deal and ordered him to complete a presentence report about his criminal history, compiled by probation agents.
Tolman is being held in jail without bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced August 5, and could face up to life in prison.