Man charged with enticement for attempting to sexually abuse 16-year-old he met at gym

ROY, Utah (ABC4) — A Clinton man has been arrested and charged for attempting to sexually abuse a 16-year-old he met at a gym. The teen’s mother reported the incident to police, who began posing at the 16-year-old to arrest the suspect.

Nicholas E Jackson, 35, has been charged with two counts of attempted forcible sodomy, one count of attempted forcible sexual abuse, three counts of enticing a minor, and five counts of distributing material harmful to a minor.

According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2025, an officer from the Roy Police Department responded to a report from a concerned mother. She told police that her 16-year-old son had received a note while at the gym that had a phone number and promised to “spoil” him.

The 16-year-old allegedly sent a message to the phone number, asking who the owner was, and received several replies. The responses stated that they would “spoil” the victim if he would “take care of them.” At this point, the victim told his mother about the messages, and they reported it to the police.

An officer who previously worked with the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force took over the phone and began messaging the suspect. Using a reverse look-up tool, police identified that the phone number belonged to Nicholas Jackson, who lived in Davis County.

According to the 16-year-old, the suspect was male and drove a black SUV with rims. An officer drove past Jackson’s house and located a vehicle matching the victim’s description.

Jackson allegedly continued to send texts to the 16-year-old, asking the teen for sexual favors, sending sexual photos, and asking to meet in person. In messages between the officer, posing as the 16-year-old, and Jackson, the officer clarified that he was 16, to which Jackson replied that they should delete that message and stated that the victim was 18 instead.

During one conversation, Jackson arranged to meet with the 16-year-old by sending an Uber to his house. The undercover officer, acting as the teen, refused to get into the Uber. Jackson then arranged to meet with the teen at the gym where he had given him the note.

Officers responded to the parking lot of the gym, where they reportedly located Jackson waiting in his car. He was arrested and brought in for an interview.

During the police interview, Jackson allegedly stated that the victim told him he was 16, but he “didn’t believe it” based on their interactions. Jackson admitted that he had sent sexual photos even after learning the victim was underage, and reiterated that he “didn’t believe it.”

According to documents, police confronted Jackson about why he was switching to spoofed phone numbers and asking to move the conversation to a social media platform if he believed the victim was 18. Jackson allegedly stated that the possibility that the victim was underage “started getting into his head.”

Jackson was arrested and booked into the Weber County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail. The arresting officer believed he posed a significant risk to the community for allegedly attempting to entice a minor at a gym, whom he had “been watching for months.”