Battle Ground man in court in luring case

A Battle Ground man is accused of luring two teenage girls to his van and trying to expose himself to them in the parking lot of Sifton Elementary School on Friday, according to court records.

Nicholas H. Langland, 21, made a first appearance Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and luring a child.

At about 8:40 p.m. Friday, two girls, 14 and 15 years old, reported seeing a black minivan in the parking lot at the school, 7301 N.E. 137th Ave. A man, later identified by police as Langland, asked the girls to come over to his van. He was sitting in the driver’s seat in his underwear with his hand down his pants, according to a probable cause affidavit.

He allegedly told them that he likes girls to watch him masturbate and asked them if they wanted to watch. They quickly left, the affidavit said.

Langland then drove off but pulled up next to the girls while they were walking down the street. He opened the passenger door from the driver’s side in an inviting way and asked them for their Facebook names, court records state.

One of the girls took a picture of his van and its license plate. They told Langland that they were only 15. He said they looked 18 and drove off, according to court documents.

Judge Scott Collier set Langland’s bail at $50,000 on Monday. He will be arraigned Friday.