PORT TOWNSEND — A man from Portland, Ore., has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison and could spend the rest of his life in custody following his guilty plea to second-degree child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
Micah Nichols, 29, was sentenced last Friday in Jefferson County Superior Court following a recommendation of 136 months to life from Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Holly Graham.
Nichols will be subject to supervision by the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
The case originated from a report on May 31, 2023, received through the state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and investigated by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brian Anderson.
The investigation found that Nichols, who was 23 at the time, groomed and sexually assaulted a juvenile, beginning when she was 13. The assaults occurred in 2019 at the girl’s residence in Jefferson County and later at Nichols’ residence in Oregon, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
The investigation began after the girl’s therapist reported the abuse to DCYF. On June 2, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff’s detectives took over the case.
During interviews at the Jamestown Child Advocacy Center and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the girl, then 16, provided a detailed account of the abuse. She said Nichols initiated contact via Instagram in 2018, and communication escalated to sexually explicit messages and videos by July 2019.
The relationship progressed to physical encounters, starting with a meeting at the Evergreen State Fair in August 2019. Subsequent visits to the girl’s home involved multiple instances of sexual intercourse, some of which Nichols allegedly recorded.
The girl also described manipulative tactics, including Nichols’ threats of self-harm, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
The girl provided evidence, including a thumb drive containing photos, videos and social media messages exchanged with Nichols, which corroborated her account. Those materials, including explicit messages from Nichols’ Instagram accounts, were entered into evidence.
Detectives interviewed Nichols at his Portland residence on Sept. 6, 2023. Nichols admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with the minor at both her home and his, sending explicit videos and using a stuffed animal costume in some recordings. He acknowledged knowing the victim’s age and the implications of his actions.
Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy praised the girl’s courage and the efforts of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Jamestown Child Advocacy Center.
“This case highlights the dangers our children face online,” Kennedy stated in a press release. “Perpetrators exploit social media to target vulnerable kids, manipulate them into compromising situations, and use coercion to silence them. We are committed to holding those who harm our children accountable and supporting victims throughout the process.”
