Nathan Porter Pleads Not Guilty To Blackmail, Sexual Exploitation
A Casper man pleaded not guilty to charges of blackmail and sexual exploitation of children during his arraignment on Thursday.
Nathan James Porter entered his plea before Natrona County District Court Judge Catherine Wilking.
Porter, who was 25 when arrested in January, is accused of threatening to post a girl’s topless photo on Facebook unless she had sex with him.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years imprisonment on the blackmail count, and not less than five years to not more than 12 years on the coercion count.
According to an affidavit filed with Natrona County Circuit Court, officers met with a girl and her parents after receiving a report a man was trying to extort money from her.
The girl had been texting with Porter and at one point sent him a topless photo. Porter responded that he would pay $50 to have sex with her or a friend of hers.
If she didn’t comply, he would post the photo on Facebook. That’s when she contacted law enforcement.
Police then set up a sting.
One officer posed as the girl and told Porter she would meet him at an address on South Poplar Street. The officer went into the women’s bathroom and texted Porter, who responded he was in the men’s bathroom. He asked her to have sex in the men’s room.
Officers then arrested him.
After being read his rights, Porter confessed to receiving messages and the photo from the girl, that he would pay her for sex, and would post the photo on Facebook if she refused.
He remains in custody on a $20,000 bond while awaiting trial.
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