Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man has been indicted in federal court for transportation and possession of child pornography.
Andrew Charles Nicholls, 38, previously charged by complaint, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 13, 2025. The indictment alleges that Nicholls, who has a prior conviction for child molestation in the second degree, transported and possessed child pornography images and videos depicting pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct using TOR, a dark web browser intended to conceal one’s online activities.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, if convicted, Nicholls faces federal prison sentence of up to 40 years to be served without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County Sheriff’s Cyber Crime Task Force with assistance from the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”