Former counselor at youth treatment center in Toquerville accused of sexually abusing teenage girls

Stock image of police scene by Carl Ballou/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE —A staff member accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls housed at a treatment center in Toquerville made an initial appearance in 5th District Court on Tuesday.

File photo for illustration purposes only shows law enforcement vehicles parked near the Anasazi Trail off of Old Highway 91 in Washington County, Utah, Oct. 10, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Paul Anthony Nichols, 22, of St. George, has been charged with multiple felony offenses, including first-degree felony rape and seven second-degree felony charges that include five counts of forcible sexual abuse and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, following his arrest on Thursday.

Nichols, who, at the time, worked at the Falcon Ridge Ranch-Lava Heights Academy in Toquerville, a residential treatment center for teenage girls, is accused of sexually abusing two female students.

The investigation was initiated in October, when detectives were assigned to follow up on a report received by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office involving allegations that two juvenile teens enrolled at the Falcon Ridge Ranch-Lava Heights Academy in Toquerville were sexually abused by a counselor.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified the suspect as Nichols, who started with the company as a part-time staff member in September, the same month he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after the offense was reduced from a felony.

According to charging documents filed with the court, three days into his employment at the youth treatment center was when Nichols allegedly participated in a game of “truth or dare” with three of the female students, according to charging documents. And at some point, the suspect went into the girl’s restroom with one of the teens and then proceeded to molest the youth, police say.

The incidents reportedly continued over the course of a five-day period and began with inappropriate touching and then escalated into a sexual assault that took place in the bathroom of the facility.

Investigators say the suspect also ordered the teen to undress, at which point he reportedly took photos of the youth with his cellphone.

The report also included information regarding a second student who was molested by the suspect, abuse that involved inappropriate touching that took place in one of the facility’s restrooms on more than one occasion, according to the report.

The interviews and investigation ultimately led to Nichols’ arrest last week. Police say that during an interview with Nichols, he admitted to touching the teens inappropriately on multiple occasions, in addition to committing, or attempting to commit, other sexual acts on of the students.

The report also states that Nichols admitted to using his cellphone to photograph one of the teens who was partially dressed at the time.

Deputies also filed a public safety assessment report at the time of the arrest that was flagged, indicating an elevated risk of Nichols committing a violent crime.

Nichols appeared before District Judge Jefferey Wilcox on Tuesday and is scheduled to be back in court on Dec. 20. He remains in custody without bail.

St. George News reached out to Falcon Ridge Ranch-Lava Heights Academy and spoke to Jeff Rinard, who serves as the facility’s program director. Rinard both confirmed that Nichols was employed at the treatment facility as a counselor and emailed a statement recently released by the treatment center following the arrest.

The statement said that Lava Heights follows stringent hiring practices and maintains “a zero tolerance for abuse,” and if any employee violates that standard then “they are terminated.”

The company is cooperating with investigators as well as state officials to the fullest extent, the statement adds.

 This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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