An Oklahoma couple unable to conceive without medical intervention allegedly forced a teen girl to act as their surrogate before fleeing to Nevada to cover, Us Weekly has learned.
Nathan Potier and Erica Palmer, each 36, were discovered hiding out within the town of Sparks, Nevada, earlier this week, where the fugitives were arrested on felony warrants, authorities announced.
Potier is charged with one count of sexual assault of a toddler, while Palmer is charged with one count of enabling sexual abuse of a toddler, in response to police.
Potier allegedly raped the 14-year-old girl and is believed to be the biological father of the twins she was forced to hold, the allegations state.
Police began investigating the couple in December 2025, after a caseworker for Oklahoma Child Protective Services was alerted to a pregnant teen carrying twins. Investigators then spoke to the girl, who claimed she was sexually assaulted. She said her alleged rapist was answerable for the unwanted twin pregnancy.
Based on a news release from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, developing information eventually led authorities to imagine the couple were staying within the Sparks area. Surveillance operations later proved that they were hiding out within the town, and the pair was arrested on Tuesday, March 17, by members of the USA Marshals Nevada Violent Offender Task Force.
Palmer allegedly told police that she had desired to have children with Potier but couldn’t conceive naturally because she’d had her tubes tied, in response to court documents obtained by KFOR.
Authorities will now take a sample of Potier’s DNA to verify if he’s indeed the biological father answerable for the high-risk pregnancy.
“This case demonstrates a high level of coordination between investigators and partner agencies,” police said in a press release announcing the arrests. “Through these joint operations, law enforcement stays focused on locating individuals attempting to avoid detection and ensuring they’re held accountable, while continuing proactive efforts to trace and monitor registered sex offenders inside our region.”
Arkansas couple Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers learned their different fates this week once they were sentenced after attempting to sell their baby for a “six-pack of beer” to a person at a campground. Urban, 22, pleaded guilty to at least one count of attempted accepting compensation for adoption during a hearing on Monday, December 22, according […]
KFOR reports that court documents appear to reference an earlier report filed in California, alleging Potier had sexually abused the identical teen, and that Palmer permitted it.
Potier and Palmer will soon be extradited to Oklahoma to face trial. Palmer and Potier are being held on $200,000 and $300,000 bonds, respectfully.
When you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit ChildHelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and the hotline is out there 24/7 in greater than 170 languages.