TOQUERVILLE, Utah — A man who worked at a residential treatment center for minors in southern Utah has been arrested and charged with various sexual offenses against teenage girls who lived and went to school there.
Paul Anthony Nichols, a 22-year-old St. George resident, was arrested last week following a sexual abuse investigation over a month long.
Two teenage girls who attend Lava Heights Academy in Toquerville told police in separate interviews on Oct. 20 that Nichols had touched them inappropriately. Both girls said the alleged abuse began as part of a "truth-or-dare" game, and it started in mid-September just a few days after he began working at the school.
The first victim, a 15-year-old girl, said she and two other students were playing truth or dare one night when Nichols, who is 22 years old, joined them. One of the "dares" was for Nichols to kiss all three of them. The 15-year-old said she then went into the bathroom, and Nichols went in after her and began kissing her, which she said she initially "went along with." She said Nichols then groped her while they were "making out."
The 15-year-old told police that this happened four more times on different nights, each time in the bathroom of the residential treatment center. His alleged abuse of the teen became more serious each time — touching her in increasingly inappropriate ways and having her touch him inappropriately. On the fifth instance, the teenager said Nichols even briefly had intercourse with her.
On a separate occasion, the girl said Nichols was in her dorm room with her and told her to take her clothes off and pose for photos, which he allegedly took with his cell phone camera.
The second victim, a 14-year-old girl, also said Nichols groped her while they kissed in the bathroom as part of the "dare." She said this happened twice.
Police interviewed Nichols on Thursday, and charging documents state that he admitted to doing what the teens said he did. He was booked into the Washington County Jail that same day, and on Friday was ordered by a judge to be held without bail.
Prosecutors wrote that Nichols held a "special position of trust" over the girls at Lava Heights, which calls itself a "residential treatment center for troubled teens," and the alleged abuse took place while he was tasked with supervising them.
Nichols was officially charged in Utah's Fifth District Court with eight separate felonies: one count of rape, five counts of forcible sexual abuse, and two counts of sexually exploiting a minor.
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Resources for sexual assault survivors:
- Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault hotline: 801-736-4356
- More resources available online at ucasa.org/resources
