West Valley City man sexually abused 15-year-old girl, charges say

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) — A West Valley City man has been charged with the alleged sexual abuse of his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter, according to documents.

Horace Edward Nicholas, 36, has been charged with one count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; two counts of enticing a minor, a second-degree felony; and two counts of endangerment of a child, a third-degree felony.

According to documents, the West Valley City Police Department (WVCPD) received a report from the mother of a 15-year-old girl. The mother told police that she had gone through her daughter’s phone and discovered sexual messages between her boyfriend, Nicholas, and her teenage daughter.

Police uncovered messages that were sexually graphic in nature and referred to sexual encounters between the 15-year-old victim and Nicholas.

According to the victim’s mother, she took her to the doctor’s office, where swabs were taken for a DNA examination. The 15-year-old victim told the doctor that she had sent sexual photos of herself to Nicholas. Also during the doctor’s visit, the victim said that both her mother and Nicholas “had given her marijuana in the past,” documents say.

A minor family member also living in the home allegedly told police that Nicholas “had weed” and “smoked it right in front” of their and the 15-year-old’s faces. The family member also affirmed to police that the 15-year-old victim had begun smoking weed with Nicholas.

On May 31, 2025, the swabs taken by the doctor matched DNA to Nicholas. According to documents, Nicholas is currently in custody, and a no-bail warrant has been issued to keep him in custody.

The mother of the victim has allegedly been passing notes between him and the victim to “facilitate communication.” The mother has reportedly denied any sexual contact between the victim and Nicholas, despite DNA evidence.

The victim’s mother has been identified as a co-defendant in court documents, but no charges have been formally filed yet. ABC4 is not releasing the name of the mother in order to protect the identity of the victim.