A former state worker who called the FBI to report a scam on Craigslist and ended up in jail for soliciting sex from a purported teen has been sentenced to time-served and probation.
Nicholas Deelstra, 55, called the FBI in late August to tell them he had solicited sex with a 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 — then 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 and arrested him for alleged sex solicitation.
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 teen on the man’s phone.
Deelstra was charged in 1st District Court with third-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and dealing in materials harmful to a minor, as well as two counts of class A misdemeanor soliciting a minor by internet or text.
He pleaded guilty in October to one count of third-degree felony attempted sexual sexual exploitation of a minor, and the other counts were dismissed.
On Monday, Judge Thomas Fillmore gave Deelstra credit for 73 days he had already spent in jail, and ordered him to complete 60 hours of community service as part of a 36-month probation.
Department of Workforce Services spokesman Nate McDonald said Tuesday that Deelstra was no longer employed by the department.
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