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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.com 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."
