A probable cause affidavit in the arrest of a local man accused of child exploitation states the defendant was offering individuals an opportunity to perform sex acts with young girls through the Grindr dating cellphone application.
The affidavit was filed with formal charges against Nicholas Duane Hickman, 39, of 1641 Azealea Drive, Columbus, who was arrested Friday on preliminary charges of Level 4 felony child exploitation and Level 6 felony sexual battery, court records state.
On Wednesday in Bartholomew Circuit Court, Bartholomew County Prosecutor Bill Nash filed five charges against Hickman, including:
Level 4 felony child exploitation, accused of intentionally disseminating or exhibiting material depicting sexual conduct by a child under the age of 18, with the matter depicting or describing a child who is younger than age 12.
Level 6 felony sexual battery, accused of touching a victim when the victim was unaware the touching was occurring.
Level 6 felony strangulation, accused of intentionally applying pressure to the throat or neck of a victim that impeded normal breathing or blood circulation.
Level 6 felony domestic battery, accused of touching a victim in a rude, insolent or angry manner and committing the act in the presence of a child younger than age 16.
Class A misdemeanor distribution of an intimate image, accused of distributing an intimate image knowing that the victim did not consent to the distribution of said image.
The probable cause affidavit states Columbus police were notified Friday by a local man that he had come into contact with Hickman on the Grindr dating cellphone app where Hickman had invited him to engage in sex acts with underage girls.
The witness told police Hickman had sent several photos to corroborate his statements about the underage girls, the affidavit states.
When police viewed the messages and images on the witness’ cellphone, they discovered sexually-explicit messages and a photo of a girl appearing to be between 2 and 4 years old, the affidavit states. The message describes explicit sexual behaviors with Hickman inviting the witness to engage in similar activity with the child and provided an address, the affidavit states.
Also in the messages, Hickman sent a message and pictures of an adult female who appears to be asleep in which portions of her body are exposed in the photos, the affidavit states.
Columbus police obtained a search warrant for Hickman’s home and later brought Hickman to the police station where he was read his rights, the affidavit states.
During an interview with Hickman, he admitted he was the user of the Grindr account and admitted to sending the messages to the witness, the affidavit states. Hickman also identified the individuals in the photos and admitted he had taken the photos, the affidavit states.
In another interview with one of the victims, the adult victim said she was unaware that Hickman had taken the photos and had not consented to him taking the photos, the affidavit states.
In addition to this interview, a forensic interview conducted in Bloomington revealed that Hickman had battered the adult female when she refused to give him a card to go buy something. Another witness told police that she had watched Hickman grab the adult female by the hair and would not let go until the female gave him the card, the affidavit states.
In a followup interview with the adult female, she said that she and Hickman got into an argument about a debit card, the affidavit states. The adult female said Hickman pinned her down and “strangled” her, causing her to have difficulty breathing, and the incident was witnessed by children in the home, the affidavit states.
Hickman is currently being held at the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond, according to jail officials.
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Anyone with information in this case or any other case involving alleged child exploitation, abuse or neglect is urged to contact the Columbus Police Department at 812-376-2600, Columbus police said. Tips and information can be left anonymously. Indiana law requires those who suspect a child to be victim of abuse or neglect to report it to authorities.
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