3-D printed gun advocate fled to Taiwan after tip that he'd been accused of having sex with minor

In this Oct. 3, 2012 photo, "Wiki Weapons" project leader Cody Wilson points to his laptop screen displaying an image of a prototype plastic gun on the screen, while holding in his other a weapon he calls "Invivdual Mandate," in Austin, Texas. At least one group, called Defense Distributed, is claiming to have created downloadable weapon parts that can be built using the increasingly popular new-generation of printer that utilizes plastics and other materials to create 3-D objects with moving parts. Wilson says the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle — one of the weapon types used in the Connecticut elementary school massacre — which was built with some key parts created on a 3-D printer. The gun was fired six times before it broke. (AP Photo/Statesman.com, ) less In this Oct. 3, 2012 photo, "Wiki Weapons" project leader Cody Wilson points to his laptop screen displaying an image of a prototype plastic gun on the screen, while holding in his other a weapon he calls ... more Photo: Alberto Martinez, Associated Press Photo: Alberto Martinez, Associated Press Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close 3-D printed gun advocate fled to Taiwan after tip that he'd been accused of having sex with minor 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Cody Wilson, the owner of a controversial Austin business that distributes blueprints for untraceable 3-D printed guns, fled to Taiwan after he was tipped off about a police investigation into sexual relations between him and a 16-year-old girl, police said.

He faces a charge of sexual assault of a child in Austin.

"Before he left, he was informed by a friend of the victim that she had spoken to police, and police were investigating him for having sex with a minor," said Austin Police Commander Troy Officer.

Officer said it was unclear when Wilson left for Taiwan, or why exactly he went there, but he didn't board a return flight to the United States.

Austin police are now working with international law enforcement agencies to extradite Wilson back to Travis County for prosecution.

Court records obtained by MySA.com say the victim told the Center for Child Protection on Aug. 27 that she met Wilson through SugarDaddyMeet.com, which requires users to be at least 18 years old to become members.

Wilson, who went by the username "Sanjuro," told the victim he was a "big deal" and identified himself as "Cody Wilson," according court records. The victim later told investigators that "Sanjuro" sent her pictures of his penis and that she responded with nude photos of herself, authorities said.

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They exchanged phone numbers and on Aug. 15, they met at the parking lot of Bennu Coffee in the 500 block of South Congress Avenue, records show.

Wilson arrived in a black Ford Edge SUV with a license plate that matches one registered to Wilson's business, Defense Distributed, according to his arrest affidavit. The two then went to the Archer Hotel in the 3100 block of Palm Way, the affidavit says.

Security cameras recorded Wilson and the victim using the hotel's valet service at about 8:30 p.m. Then then took an elevator to the seventh floor and entered a room, where the victim said they had sex, according to the affidavit. Wilson then paid her $500 in cash, authorities said.

They were recorded leaving the elevator at about 9:20 p.m. According to the affidavit, Wilson dropped off the victim at a Whataburger on West Slaughter Lane.

In the affidavit, Austin Police Officer Shaun Donovan, notes the victim's statement to authorities has been thoroughly corroborated by security camera footage and that Wilson was the sole registered guest of the hotel room the night of the assault.

"This is really a cautionary tale," Officer said. "Whether it's a child or an adult, if you pay for sex it's illegal."

Officer deflected questions from reporters about SugarDaddyMeet.com's age limit, saying only that it is illegal to have sex with a minor in Texas.

Officer added investigators said that if anyone mistook the victim's age it "would be because they think she's younger, not older than 16."

After news of the charges against Wilson broke on Wednesday, many social media users openly wondered whether he had been set up in some sort of sting operation. Officers said there's no evidence that he was set up, but prosecutors will investigate that possibility.

Sexual assault of a child is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

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Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns