Columbus police officer pleads guilty to taking upskirt video at Illinois anime convention

Columbus police officer Adam Nguyen remains on the force — at least for now — after admitting to taking upskirt video of a young woman at an anime convention near Chicago last year.

Nguyen, 27, pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to a class 3 felony charge of taking videos under clothing, according to Circuit Court of Cook County online records.

Court documents show Nguyen was sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay more than $870 in court costs and fees. He was also ordered to undergo evaluation and treatment for those who commit sexually oriented offenses.

Nguyen, who joined Columbus police in October 2021 and appeared in promotional videos by the Division of Police, attended a convention in late May 2023 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Court records show Nguyen was accused of pointing a camera under a female's skirt and took video without her consent. A grand jury indicted him in July 2023.

The Division of Police had placed Nguyen on administrative leave with pay after his arrest. A listing of active police officers in Ohio on the Attorney General's website still shows Nguyen as an active member of Columbus police as of Thursday afternoon.

The charge Nguyen pled guilty to is considered a class 3 and "non-forcible felony" in Illinois, meaning he remains eligible to possess a firearm in Illinois. Ohio law does not permit those with convictions for violent felonies to possess a gun, however, the Ohio equivalent of the crime Nguyen pled guilty to isn't considered a violent offense.

Federal law prevents the possession of a firearm by a person convicted of any felony, with an exception for people who are issued a gun by their employer for work purposes, such as a police officer or person in the military.

However, Ohio law automatically disqualifies anyone with a federal conviction from being appointed as a police officer, according to the Ohio Revised Code. Chapter 737 of the Ohio Revised Code says, in part, that the "director of public safety shall terminate the employment of a chief of police, member of the police department or auxiliary police officer who … pleads guilty to a felony."

Glenn McEntyre, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, said Nguyen remains on "relieved of duty" status, meaning essentially that Nguyen is suspended with pay, as of Thursday.

McEntyre said since the criminal case against Nguyen has concluded, "administrative action is underway."

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio cop pleads guilty to taking upskirt video at Chicago anime convention