PORT TOWNSEND — A man from Portland, Ore., has pleaded guilty to second-degree rape of a child and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
Micah Nichols, 25, entered the plea on Friday in Jefferson County Superior Court. He will be sentenced on Aug. 8, the Jefferson County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
Second-degree rape of a child is a Class A felony, punishable by up to life in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.
The sexual assault of a Jefferson County juvenile was reported on May 31, 2023, through the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
On June 2, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives were assigned to the case. Detective Brian Anderson led the investigation, according to a press release from the prosecuting attorney’s office.
The investigation initially followed a report provided to DCYF by the girl’s therapist.
The girl provided detailed accounts in interviews conducted at both the Jamestown Child Advocacy Center (JCAC) and JCSO.
The girl was 16 at the time of an interview during which she disclosed she had been groomed and sexually assaulted by Nichols starting when she was 13, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
The assaults occurred in 2019, when Nichols engaged in sexual intercourse with the girl on multiple occasions at her Jefferson County residence. Later, Nichols engaged in sexual intercourse with the girl at his residence in Portland, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
In her accounts, the girl reported that Nichols initiated contact through Instagram in 2018. Communications escalated to include sexually explicit messages and videos by July 2019, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
In August 2019, an initial physical encounter occurred at the Evergreen State Fair, where Nichols kissed the girl, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
In subsequent visits to the girl’s home, Nichols allegedly recorded some sexual acts.
The girl also described manipulative behaviors. Nichols threatened self-harm in an effort to maintain the relationship and instructed the girl to conceal the relationship to avoid legal consequences, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
The girl provided sheriff’s detectives with a thumb drive that included evidence, corroborating her account. The thumb drive contained photos, videos and messages exchanged over social media. Some of the images and messages received from Nichols were explicit. They were entered into evidence, according to the prosecuting attorney’s office.
Detectives interviewed Nichols at his Portland home on Sept. 6, 2023. In the interview, he admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girl in both her home and his, sending explicit videos and using a stuffed animal costume in recordings, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
At that time, he acknowledged his awareness of the girl’s age and the legal implications of his actions, the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
“This case shows some of the dangers our kids face online,” Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy said. “Perpetrators use social media to make contact with kids, get them into compromising situations, then blackmail them to maintain their silence and compliance.
“We will continue to pursue accountability for those who exploit and harm our children.”
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
