An Oklahoma mother, along with her boyfriend, is accused of involving a 14-year-old girl in a disturbing surrogacy plan, claiming the teen “eagerly wished for more siblings,” as detailed by law enforcement and news sources.
Authorities apprehended Nathan Potier and Erica Palmer, both aged 36, on Tuesday after discovering the pair, wanted for the sexual assault of a teenage girl, hiding in Nevada. This information was released by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
The couple faced arrest on existing warrants due to an investigation that started in December. It began when Child Protective Services received a tip about a teenager carrying twins, allegedly fathered by her mother’s boyfriend, according to police and court documents referenced by KFOR.
During a troubling interview with Oklahoma City Police, Palmer reportedly claimed her daughter “eagerly wished for more siblings,” as per the news outlet.
Palmer explained she desired more children with her “current boyfriend” but was unable due to her tubal ligation, the report indicated.
While Palmer denied consenting to Potier impregnating her daughter, authorities later secured a warrant to collect his DNA to establish paternity during the teen’s forthcoming medical examination.
Before the test could be collected, the couple fled Oklahoma, police said.
The couple was later located in a “coordinated operation” and cuffed by members of the US Marshals Nevada Violent Offender Task Force after detectives discovered they were hiding in the Reno/Sparks area — over 1,000 miles away from Oklahoma City, police said.
Potier was charged with sexual assault of a child, and Palmer was charged with enabling the sexual abuse of a child, according to authorities.
Palmer, who appears to also use the surname Ramirez, has also been charged with two counts of desertion of a child under 15, court records show.
Potier and Palmer were brought to the Washoe County Detention Facility in Nevada and will be extradited to Oklahoma County to face charges, authorities added.
The teen’s due date was in late February, and she has since been placed in foster care, the outlet reported.
