Utah man accused of paying boys to strip naked pleads guilty

A Copperton man accused of showing middle school-aged boys pornography and paying them to take off their clothes has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Michael Wade Heagren, 56, pleaded guilty Tuesday in 3rd District Court to four counts of class A misdemeanor attempted dealing in harmful material to a minor, a crime punishable by a maximum penalty of a year in jail.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 19, according to court records.

Heagren was initially charged with five counts of third-degree felony dealing in harmful material to a minor, but the charges were reduced as part of a plea deal.

The defendant's attorney, Paul Grant, told The Tribune in September that his client met the boys while serving as a volunteer basketball coach at a Copperton middle school. Heagren was an accountant for Park City School District at the time.

Charges state that between May 2014 and May 2015, the boys were hired to do chores for Heagren at his home and at a family cabin. After one trip to the cabin with three of the boys, Heagren offered each of them $50 if they would lie naked in a stream, charges state. The boys complied as Heagren watched while standing at his nearby truck, charges state.

One of the boys told police he had been promised $30 for the cabin chores, but was paid $80 that day by Heagren, court documents state.

In a second incident at Heagren's home, two boys told police they were offered $20 to undress and run back and forth in a field while naked. Both again complied while Heagren looked on, charges state.

As they dressed, the boys said Heagren made jokes and showed them pornographic magazines, according to the charges.

Also, on two separate occasions, Heagren texted pictures of naked women to one of the boys, charges state. That message appears to have been intercepted by a parent, who then contacted Heagren, according to charges.

In a follow-up text to the boy Heagren wrote: "Hey bud, your mom sent me a message. Sorry I had you and [another boy] go streaking and pornography. Take care and work hard," court documents state.

jmiller@sltrib.com