Oklahoma City Police station (KFOR).
In a deeply troubling case, an Oklahoma man and his girlfriend are accused of exploiting a 14-year-old girl, compelling her to become pregnant with the man’s twins due to the girlfriend’s inability to conceive. This shocking ordeal led to their eventual flight from the state.
Law enforcement officials apprehended Nathan Potier and Erica Palmer, both aged 36, earlier this week in Nevada. They were taken into custody on felony warrants, with Potier facing a charge of sexual assault of a child and Palmer charged with enabling the sexual abuse of a child.
The arrests were the result of diligent work by the United States Marshals Nevada Violent Offender Task Force, who captured the duo in Sparks, Nevada. This operation was highlighted in a news release issued by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation, led by the Regional Sex Offender Notification Unit — a collaboration among several agencies to track and scrutinize sex offenders — revealed that Potier and Palmer had been hiding in the Reno-Sparks area. After a series of investigative efforts to narrow down their whereabouts, authorities successfully apprehended the fugitives.
Now detained at the Washoe County Detention Facility, Potier and Palmer are slated for extradition to Oklahoma County, where they will confront the serious charges against them. This case highlights the relentless pursuit of justice through coordinated efforts across multiple law enforcement agencies, aiming to bring those who evade the law to account.
Potier and Palmer were booked into the Washoe County Detention Facility and are expected to be extradited to Oklahoma County to face the aforementioned charges. Officials said the case underscores ongoing efforts to locate fugitives and prosecute them through multi-agency cooperation.
Court documents obtained by Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR provided details regarding the allegations that led to the charges.
According to authorities, the investigation into Potier and Palmer began in December 2025, after a caseworker with Oklahoma Child Protective Services sent in a referral indicating that a 14-year-old girl was pregnant with twins.
Authorities allege the pregnancy was the result of abuse involving the couple, and Potier is believed to be the father of the twins.
In an interview with police prior to the arrest warrants being issued, Palmer allegedly said she wanted to have children with Potier but was unable to do because she had undergone tubal ligation, colloquially known as having her tubes tied.
Authorities allege the couple targeted the teenage victim.
Investigators then obtained a search warrant and planned to collect Potier’s DNA during a medical appointment to determine whether he was the father of the victim’s twins. However, the duo fled the state before that could occur.
Court documents also reference earlier California reports alleging Potier sexually abused the same teen and that Palmer was aware of those allegations.
The teen is now in foster care, KFOR reported.
Both defendants remained in the Washoe County Detention Facility as of Friday afternoon. Palmer was being held on $200,000 bond and Potier on $300,000 bond, records show.
