The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Van Wert man indicted on federal charge

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

A federal grand jury has indicted a Van Wert man suspected of possessing child pornography.

According to a news release issued on Monday, 54-year-old Roy A. Nichols was arrested August 30 at his place of employment in Van Wert. The release said Nichols was charged last week with receipt and distribution of child pornography.

He’s currently incarcerated at the Lucas County Jail in Toledo.

The arrest was the result of an investigation initiated by the Van Wert Police Department. During the course of the investigation, a dozen files of known child pornography were distributed between June 27 and August 13 from a location in Van Wert, and detectives were able to identify a computer and an address where the material was being distributed from.

On August 23, Van Wert police and agents with the Bowling Green office of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation executed a search warrant at the suspect’s house. The residents of the home were questioned, and law enforcement officers seized a laptop computer and a cell phone.

During the questioning of the occupants and after an on-scene examination of the computer, detectives identified Nichols as a suspect.

After the Van Wert Police Department conferred with the Lima Office of the FBI, federal agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio issued an arrest warrant for Nichols.

The Van Wert Police Department is a member of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Department works with the FBI and Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force to prevent the victimization of children which occurs either through the production and distribution of child pornography or at the hands of sexual predators.

In 2013, detectives received training in peer-to-peer investigations (child pornography distribution) and undercover online investigations. Since then, the investigations have resulted in the arrest of 15 men for various felony sex offenses. Some of these men, including Nichols, have been previously convicted of felony sex offenses.

POSTED: 09/19/17 at 6:35 am. FILED UNDER: News