Law Schools

Former UT Law School Student Gun Nut Indicted On Multiple Counts Of Sexual Assault

Grand jury delivers bad news for Cody Wilson.

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Cody Wilson must look back fondly on those days when he was just violating federal court orders by distributing 3D gun blueprints online. As potentially criminal activity goes, that was relatively minor compared to Wilson’s current predicament.

Speaking of minors, Wilson’s charged with sexually assaulting some. Back in September, Wilson was arrested for allegedly setting up a sexual liaison with a 16-year-old he met on SugarDaddyMeet.com. From the Chicago Tribune:

An arrest affidavit says the two met in the parking lot of an Austin coffee shop before going to a hotel. The girl told investigators that Wilson paid her $500 after the two had sex, the document says, and dropped her off in a Whataburger parking lot.

The only way that paragraph could get any more Texas is if she then went to a high school football game.

From the outset, Wilson’s case looked bleak. Wilson claims he believed the girl to be 18 — safely north of the age of consent of 17 in Texas — but as his 1L Crim Law class no doubt explained, statutory is something of a strict liability offense. That he then fled to Taiwan in what authorities construe as an attempt to evade capture didn’t help his case. On Friday, the grand jury came back and indicted the radical right-winger on multiple counts of sexual assault. From Spectrum News in Austin:

A Travis County grand jury indicted Wilson on four counts of sexual assault of a child, two counts of indecency with a child by exposure, and two counts of indecency with a child by contact.

These are crimes that carry upwards of 20-year prison sentences, though one would assume a first-time offender who arguably didn’t know he was committing statutory would get a lighter sentence if this made it to court. Wilson’s defense lawyer seems to think prosecutors will take that into account when cutting a deal:

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“Mr. Wilson at all times believed reasonably that the complaining witness was a consenting adult,” he said. “We are confident that once all of the facts are out and we have a chance to interface with the DA’s office more directly that we’ll be able to resolve this matter.”

Defense Distributed, Wilson’s company in the 3D printed death game, severed ties with him following his arrest meaning the conservative provocateur — who has gone mostly silent since his arrest — doesn’t even have a business to go back to after all this. Presumably the company owns all the intellectual property in the off chance America falls further into a wretched hellscape and starts allowing it to cash in on 3D printed guns. And a sexual assault conviction would complicate any effort to go back and become a lawyer. What will he manage to do for a career now?

Gotta make that money somehow. Can’t roll on SugarDaddyMeet without some sugar, right?

Cody Wilson Indicted on Multiple Child Sexual Assault Charges [Spectrum News]
Cody Wilson, the man behind the fight over 3D-printed guns, facing new charges stemming from encounter with teen [Chicago Tribune]

Earlier: Former Law School Student, Current Wacko, Charged With Sexual Assault Of A Minor
3-D Gun Guy Starts Selling 3-D Gun Blueprints Despite Court Order Against Making 3-D Gun Blueprints Available
3D Printers Don’t Kill People, Guns Made With 3D Printers Kill People.

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HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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