LOGAN — A 38-year-old Murray man has been arrested after allegedly driving to Logan to meet up with an undercover officer, posing as a 13-year-old girl. Nathan Benjamin Allen was booked into the Cache County Jail Thursday night after reportedly telling law enforcement that he only intended to talk to the girl.
According to an arrest report, Allen began chatting with the Logan City Police officer on an internet chat website in June. He began a sexually flirtatious conversation and then asked to move the chats to a mobile app.
Allen allegedly continued to point the direction of the chats in a sexual nature, saying that he wanted to meet in person. He also sent a video, exposing and inappropriately touching himself.
As the chats continued, the suspect arranged to drive to Logan to pick up the undercover officer twice. Both times he did not show up, claiming that he had a work emergency the first time and got in a car accident the second time.
On Thursday, Allen again stated that he wanted to meet up and was driving to Cache Valley. A location was arranged, where officers were waiting when he pulled up and got out of his car.
Allen was arraigned Friday morning in 1st District Court, appearing by web conference from jail. He was charged with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and two counts of sodomy on a child, both first-degree felonies; five counts of enticing a minor by internet, a second-degree felony; and one count of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.
Judge Spencer Walsh ordered Allen to be held temporarily without bail while attorneys review evidence in the case. He ordered him to appear again in court Monday.
Allen didn’t speak and was seen crying, with his head in his hands, as the charges were read against him. He could face up to life in prison, if convicted.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
will@cvradio.com