A state worker who called the FBI to report a scam on Craigslist ended up in jail for allegedly soliciting sex from a purported teen.
Nicholas Deelstra, 54, called the FBI in late August to tell them he had solicited sex with a purported 16-year-old boy on Craigslist and agreed to have the teen come to his house in North Logan, according to court documents. But the boy never showed up.
Deelstra — an employee with the Office of Rehabilitation in the state Department of Workforce Services — told the FBI that the next day a person claiming to be the teen’s father began messaging him, “demanding he send money to cover car repairs because” the boy damaged the family‘s vehicle while trying to go meet up with the man, court records state.
The FBI referred the case to Logan City police, who interviewed Deelstra last week and arrested him for alleged sex crimes.
Deelstra told a Logan officer that he agreed to meet with the teen for sex, despite knowing he was underage, court records state. Police also found sexually explicit messages between Deelstra and the purported teen on the man’s phone.
Deelstra was charged Monday in 1st District Court with third-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and dealing inmaterials harmful to a minor, as well as two counts of class Amisdemeanor soliciting a minor by internet or text.
Department of Workforce Services spokesman Nate McDonald said Monday that the department had begun an investigation after receiving information about Deelstra’s criminal charges.
Deelstra was being held at the Cache County jail Friday in lieu of $10,000 bail.