School administrator in federal custody

A Coulee Dam man arrested in February on charges related to his alleged relationship with a 14-year-old girl in Wisconsin found himself in federal court Monday in Spokane, not a state court in Okanogan.

Nate Piturachsatit, 37, pleaded not guilty to one count of producing child pornography.

The girl’s mother contacted Wisconsin police when she found a package containing a T-shirt mailed to her from Piturachsatit from a Spokane address. He is suspected of sending and receiving sexually-explicit pictures with the girl via an Instagram account.

A task force took Piturachsatit into custody after interviewing him at Lake Roosevelt Elementary School, where he is assistant principal.

Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson said Piturachsatit is on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome. He noted the district has a contract with Piturachsatit that ends June 30.

Documents at the U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington indicate a bail hearing is set for today (Wednesday, April 27) at 1:30 p.m. A jury trial set for June 20 at 9 a.m. in Spokane Courtroom 755 before Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr.