LOGAN — A 53-year-old Logan man with a lengthy criminal history is headed to prison for 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.
Tolman was sentenced Monday, Aug. 19, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded 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.
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 sentencing, defense attorney Michael McGinnis said Tolman was remorseful and realized that he shouldn’t have been chatting with the supposed teen girl. He said his client was sorry to the community for what he had done.
Cache County deputy attorney Joshua Nemeth said the defendant’s history warranted a prison sentence.
Tolman spoke only briefly, thanking the court for its patience.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck said Tolman posed a “high risk” to the community. She sentenced him to a term of three years to life at the Utah State Correctional Facility.