The man behind 3D-printed guns has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor

Cody Wilson.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Cody Wilson, owner of the controversial 3D-printed gun company Defense Distributed, has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor.

Wilson, 30, allegedly met the girl, who is under 17, on the website SugarDaddyMeet.com, The New York Times reports. They each sent at least one explicit photo to each other via text, and met in person in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 15. Wilson then drove the girl to a hotel where the assault occurred, and paid her $500, an affidavit details.

Investigators were able to match Wilson's driver's license to profiles used on the website. Hotel records and security footage also back up the story, per affidavit details reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

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Wilson posted blueprints online for his 3D-printed plastic gun in 2013, and sued when the U.S. State Department ordered him to take the plans down. The case was settled earlier this year, but 19 states quickly sued Wilson again. A restraining order has since blocked Wilson from posting the plans online. Wilson has taken to mailing customers the blueprints on flash drives.

Wilson could face up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine under the felony sexual assault charge, per the American-Statesman. He and his lawyer have not returned the Times' request for comment.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.