Booking photo for Nelson Nieves (Photo: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 35-year-old Logan man has admitted to molesting and raping two young girls while babysitting them at his home. Nelson Nieves accepted a plea deal that will likely send him to prison.
Nieves was in 1st District Court Monday afternoon, one month before a four-day trial was set to begin. He pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first degree felony.
Defense attorney Michael McGinnis explained as part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend Nieves be ordered to serve 10 years to life in prison at the time of sentencing. Two remaining charges were also dropped.
According prosecutors, Logan City police officers received a report of child sex abuse after one of the victims, a 4-year-old girl, told her mother how Nieves molested and videoed her naked. The girl referred to it as a game the defendant would play with her.
Later, the victim was interviewed by investigators. She explained how she and a 9-year-old girl would play without their clothes on. The incidents took place while Nieves was tending the two girls at his apartment, near 360 W. 1100 North.
Investigators later spoke to the other victim, the 9-year-old girl. She also spoke about being naked at Nieves’ residence, and described how the suspect had raped and sodomized her.
The girl told police Nieves had made her “pinky promise” not to talk about the naked games. He had told her it was a secret and would get him in a lot of trouble.
Nieves spoke only briefly during Monday’s hearing, telling the court he wished to waive his rights to a fair trial and plead guilty to the two charges. He did not discuss any of the details of the case.
Cache County Deputy Attorney Griffin Hazard told the court he had met with victim’s families. They were in favor of the plea deal because it would keep the girls from having to testify in court.
Judge Thomas Willmore accepted Nieves’ plea deal and scheduled sentencing for Aug. 22.
Nieves has been in jail since being arrested Dec. 8, 2020. He is being held without bail.
will@cvradio.com