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PROVO — A Payson man set up a meeting with a 12-year-old girl over social media, then picked her up at a West Valley school and drove her to a Provo hotel to have sex with her, charges filed Wednesday allege.
Jeffrey Nicolas Nyman, 31, is charged in 4th District Court with child kidnapping, and two counts each of rape of a child, sodomy upon a child, and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, all first-degree felonies; and enticing a minor, a second-degree felony.
Nyman allegedly arranged to pick up the girl on Nov. 28. When the girl didn't return home after school that day, "her mother called the school and found that she did not attend classes all day," court documents state. The girl arrived home after police began investigating her whereabouts.
Court documents don't specify the West Valley school where Nyman allegedly met up with the girl, but the two had previously "engaged in a conversation through social media and electronic messaging applications," charges state.
After Nyman met up with the girl, "he took her to Provo, where he rented a hotel room," according to charging documents. The hotel's name and exact address aren't listed in the charges.
Nyman allegedly performed several sex acts on the girl at the hotel.
Investigators said the girl was able to describe Nyman, his social media presence, his vehicle and the hotel they visited. After police located him, Nyman allegedly admitted to the encounter but claimed he thought the girl was 18 years old.
However, police learned from the girl that she had disclosed her age, court documents say.
Nyman is currently being held in the Utah County Jail.
Nyman pleaded guilty in 2003 to marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession, both misdemeanors, court records show. His other prior criminal history in Utah is limited to traffic and vehicle offenses.