A 38-year-old Columbia man has been indicted in federal court for transportation and possession of child pornography.

Andrew Charles Nicholls, was indicted by a federal grand jury  yesterday (Tuesday). 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 a dark web browser intended to conceal one’s online activities.

Nicholls could face a federal prison sentence of up to 40 years to be served without parole. This case was investigated by the Boone County Sheriff’s Cyber Crime Task Force with assistance from the FBI.