Sawyer Public Schools Superintendent Charles Soper is being held on $250,000 bond in the Ward County Jail on charges of luring a minor by computer or other electronic means, a Class C felony; corruption or solicitation of a minor, a Class C felony; and human trafficking, a Class AA felony. Soper is also charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Soper, 50, denied guilt during his initial court appearance before North Central District Judge Doug Mattson Wednesday afternoon.

Soper set a $250,000 cash bond at the request of Ward County State’s Attorney Rozanna Larson, who stated the bond level is consistent with other human traffic cases in the county. If bonded out, Soper is barred from contact with the alleged victim or any youth younger than 18 and is prohibited from any Internet access.

“There’s absolutely no way that I could afford that bond,” a testy Soper said in response. “I have no prior felony charges or convictions. I have no record whatsover, and I do deny the charges. I do not believe that bond is fair.”

Soper, who appeared in court over interactive video from the Ward County Jail, was not represented by an attorney. He told Mattson that he was unable to use the jail phone to contact an attorney because he did not have cash with him to make a call. Mattson replied the court would visit with jail officials to ensure Soper can contact an attorney.

A preliminary hearing was set for June 11.

The felony luring and corruption charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years and/or $10,000 fine. Human trafficking carries a penalty of life without parole and $20,000 fine. Registration as a sex offender also is required with conviction on any of the charges.

Soper, who lives in Minot, was arrested at Sawyer Public School early Tuesday afternoon. He stands accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy he connected with using Grindr, a dating app used by homosexuals. The alleged incidents occurred at Soper’s residence in Minot. According to a police affidavit, Soper and the boy first met on Grindr in November 2014 and the two allegedly met and had sex 11 times between November 2014 and March 2015.

The boy’s parents met with Minot police May 2 to report that their son had been in contact with a man he met on Grindr. An officer talked with the boy, who admitted to meeting another man on Grindr and said they had exchanged photographs of their genitals. During the conversation with police, the boy also said he had met a second man Soper on Grindr in November and had met with him for sex several times.

Soper allegedly used the account name “thedoctor7” on Grindr. On May 3, according to the affidavit, the boy identified “thedoctor7” as Soper from the Facebook account Soper allegedly provided as a method of communication in case the boy’s parents took away his phone.

The boy said he first met with Soper in person in late November. Soper allegedly picked the boy up about a block from his residence when the boy was able to sneak out after his parents went to bed. Soper allegedly drove the boy to his Minot apartment along with another unidentified male. While at the apartment, the boy said the three males watched pornography and engaged in sexual activity in the living room and later in Soper’s bedroom.

The boy told police that Soper was aware that he was 15 because the boy told him his age when they talked on Grindr. The boy told police that his sexual encounters with Soper included a third male on all but two or three occasions. The boy said that Soper told him not to tell any of the other men his true age because they would not agree to have sex with him if they knew he was 15.

According to the affidavit, the boy kept track of his meetings with Soper on a calendar that shows they met for sex 11 times between November 2014 and April 2015.

According to the police affidavit, the boy told police that he decided to end his relationship with Soper sometime this spring. He ignored text messages he received from Soper and told Soper he was not getting his texts. Soper then began attempting to contact the boy using text.com and a 302 area code phone number appeared on the boy’s caller ID. The boy also told police that he created a new Grindr account that Soper did not know about. The boy said Soper contacted him on the new account after another man the boy was talking to told Soper about the account.

Soper’s home at 3400 11th St. SE, No. 105 in Minot was searched and computers and other evidence were also seized, according to Minot police.

Soper is both the superintendent and the high school principal at Sawyer. According to his bio on the school district’s web page, Soper is a Devils Lake native and received both his bachelor of science and his master’s degree from the University of North Dakota. He began his teaching career in Walhalla as an English and speech teacher. He also taught English and Title I programs at Fort Totten. He became principal at Beach High School in 1997 and was later promoted to superintendent. He moved to Colorado in 2002, where he was superintendent in Park County and later in Lamar, Colo., for a combined 11 years.

Soper was hired in 2010 to replace a retiring superintendent in Lamar, Colo. He was offered a two year contract. However, on April 14, 2011, The Prowers Journal in Lamar reported that Soper had announced his resignation, following a school board meeting in executive session that called for the board’s evaluation of Soper as superintendent. Soper had been superintendent in Lamar for less than a year, according to the news report. A representative with the Lamar school district said Wednesday that Soper’s April 2011 letter of resignation indicated he was leaving the school district in the middle of the school year “due to health issues.”

Soper is first listed as high school principal and superintendent for the Sawyer school district in the state’s educational directory for the 2013-2014 school year. Sawyer school board president Cody Roteliuk said Wednesday Soper has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal investigation. Roteliuk said it has not yet been determined whether Soper’s leave will be paid or unpaid. She said the school board has not yet scheduled its next meeting.

Capt. John Klug of the Minot Police Department said Wednesday there is still an ongoing investigation regarding the 15-year-old boy’s contacts on Grindr with the other man, and he could not comment further.