Nevada man accused of paying Provo mother for sex with daughter arrested in Mesquite

PROVO — A Nevada man who investigators say has been paying a Utah woman for years to sexually abuse her young daughter has been arrested in Mesquite.

Chris Alan Seamann, 52, of Mesquite, Nevada, was charged Friday in 4th District Court with sodomy on a child and rape of a child, first-degree felonies; three counts of sexual abuse of a child, second-degree felonies; and lewdness involving a child, a third-degree felony. An arrest warrant was issued Friday by the Utah Attorney General’s Office for Seamann, who prosecutors say is a registered sex offender. By early afternoon, police confirmed that he had been arrested in Mesquite and that officers would be starting the process of having him extradited back to Utah.

His arrest follows the arrest of a Provo woman for investigation of 76 felony crimes involving the sexual abuse of her 10-year-old daughter. The 38-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday for investigation of 42 counts of human trafficking of a child, 30 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, and two counts of sodomy on a child. KSL is currently not naming the woman to protect the identity of the child.

The investigation began Wednesday when Provo police received a tip that a woman was uploading videos to Kik of herself sexually abusing her young daughter, according to a police booking affidavit. Detectives were able to identify the woman and served a search warrant at her residence.

When questioned by police, the woman allegedly admitted to sending Seamann sexually explicit videos of herself and the young girl.

“(She) said that he makes her do it and threatens her by saying something along the lines of ‘he’ll do what he needs to do.’ (The woman) stated that he’s never made any explicit threats. (She) told me that she’s been taking pictures and videos of the victim for years for (Seamann),” according to the affidavit. “(The woman) said that she wanted positive attention from someone that wasn’t bullying.”

The Provo woman admitted to meeting Seamann in person approximately 10 times over the past five or six years and each time he would sexually assault the girl, according to the affidavit. The woman told police that Seamann “would also buy the victim gifts and treats for sexual acts. (She) also said that he would pay her extra money sometimes so she can get the hotel rooms for them.”

Charging documents further allege that the woman would send videos to Seamann in exchange for gifts and money, and that “she feared for her safety if she did not comply” with his demands.

The woman claimed the last time the girl was sexually abused by Seamann was Tuesday in a Springville hotel as the mother “was sitting on a bench seat in the hotel room watching all of this,” the affidavit says. Seamann allegedly gave the woman “a laptop and $125 for payment of allowing him to abuse” the child.

Police say “there were a total of 41 transactions between (the woman) and the buyer, and one time she said he paid cash.”

 

Child abuse resources:

• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

Help with Children

Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:

• The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
• Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
• The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
• The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child’s mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.