Wilson escorted by immigration officers at Taoyuan international airport. — Reuters photo
WASHINGTON: A Texas man running a 3-D printed guns company was booked into a Houston jail on a charge of sexual assault after Taiwanese officials sent him back to the United States, where he is accused of having sex with an underage girl.
Cody Wilson, 30, flew to Taiwan after learning he was under investigation, police said, and was picked up by Taiwanese authorities on Friday after his US passport was annulled.
He was deported to the United States on Saturday. He was booked into Harris County jail in Houston, according to the jail’s website.
Wilson’s attorney, Samy Khalil, said in a statement: “We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. That’s our focus right now, representing our client and preparing his defence.”
As the founder of Defense Distributed, Wilson became a notable figure in the US debate over guns after the company posted on the internet the blueprints for plastic guns that can be made with a 3-D printer. The files could previously be downloaded for free but a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction last month that blocked the posting of the blueprints online.
Wilson was placed under investigation after a counsellor told authorities on Aug 22 a 16-year-old girl said she was paid US$500 to have sex with Wilson at an Austin hotel, police said.
Investigators later interviewed the girl and obtained a warrant for Wilson’s arrest last Wednesday, but by then he had caught a flight to Taiwan.
Police said at the time they were aware Wilson travelled often for business but that it was not clear why he had flown to Taiwan. — Reuters