By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A Southern Utah man is facing felony charges after allegedly exchanging explicit photos with a juvenile victim and threatening blackmail.
Ethan Boyd Nez, 20, of Garfield County, has been charged with one count of dealing in harmful material to a minor and one count of sexual extortion, both third-degree felonies.
According to court documents filed in support of the arrest, the case began in May 2024 when a 16-year-old boy reported to law enforcement that he had been contacted through social media by a suspect posing as a female.
Investigators said the suspect initiated communication with the juvenile on Instagram, sent explicit images, and requested similar images in return.
After receiving the juvenile’s images, the suspect allegedly threatened to distribute them unless payment was made. The victim complied, sending $130 through Venmo to an account investigators later traced to Nez, the affidavit states. Using search warrants, authorities confirmed the transaction and linked it to Nez’s bank account.
Iron County prosecutors initially filed charges against Nez in July 2024, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Those charges were later dismissed but refiled in November, with a new warrant requiring Nez to appear in court. He was ordered to report to the Iron County Jail for booking before his court appearance on Dec. 2.
Nez has a status hearing scheduled for January 8, 2025.