TOQUERVILLE, Utah, Dec. 2, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Rape and sex abuse charges have been filed against a 22-year-old man accused of abusing two teenage girls at the Toquerville residential treatment center where he worked.
Paul Anthony Nichols, 22, was an employee at Lava Heights Academy, 730 Spring Road, and assigned to supervise the two female students, ages 15 and 14, in September, when prosecutors say the abuse occurred.
Prosecutors say the abuse began Sept. 9, three days after Nichols started working at the treatment center for girls ages 12-17 who struggle with mental and behavioral issues. It started with a game of “truth or dare” between Nichols and the two girls, according to charging documents filed Friday in 5th District Court.
“Part of the dare was that [Nichols] would kiss all of them,” the charges state.
Nichols separately joined the girls, one after the other, in a bathroom, where he kissed and groped them, according to the arresting Washington County sheriff‘s deputy.
Prosecutors say Nichols continued to sexually abuse the 15-year-old girl, including the alleged rape, on four other occasions, each time in the same bathroom. He also allegedly sexually abused the 14-year-old in the bathroom on one other occasion, charges state.
In addition, Nichols met once with the 15-year-old girl in her dorm, where he took explicit photos of the girl with his phone, charges state.
The girls were interviewed separately Oct. 20 at the Children’s Justice Center in St. George about the incidents, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Nichols was interviewed and arrested by sheriff’s deputies Thursday. He was charged Friday with:
- Rape, a first-degree felony
- Five counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony
Nichols is being held without bail in the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane.
