Sex offender living near school arrested for failing to register, other crimes
A Columbus man and convicted sex offender was arrested Tuesday for pandering sexual material involving minors and failing to register as a sex offender in Franklin County, Columbus police announced.
Nicholas A. Anderson, 35, of the city's Southwest Side, is accused of possessing and distributing "numerous" videos and images of young children being sexually assaulted, according to a Columbus police media release. Anderson, who was previously convicted of a sex offense in the state of Washington and ordered to register as a sex offender also did not register his address there or his address or employer here in Franklin County and was living less than a quarter mile from Stiles Elementary School in the South-Western City School District, according to police.
The Dispatch could not immediately find details on that conviction, including dates or what those charges were for.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by detectives, police searched for an IP address that was being used to download files containing child sex material between October 8, 2023, and July 21, 2024, and were able to connect Anderson as the user of the IP address. Detectives also stated that during an interview, Anderson admitted to having child sex abuse material on a flash drive at his home on Grener Avenue.
Anderson was arrested at his home without incident. His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m., according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
@ShahidMeighan
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Nicholas Anderson arrested for distributing child sex material
