By Gary Meyer

Sixty year old Alan Carl Nicoll, of Lake of the Woods, has pled guilty in U.S. Federal District Court to charges of possessing and receiving child pornography.

Nicoll pled guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 4, before United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii in Fresno to one count of receiving or distributing child pornography and one count of possessing images of child pornography.

Nicoll was arrested October 25, 2006 when Kern County Sheriff’s investigators executed a search warrant at his home and recovered 1,400 still and video images from three computers.

According to a Department of Justice press release, the images depicted the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were as young as two years old. Many images also showed "violence or sadistic or masochistic conduct," according to the release which said investigators also recovered numerous stories describing the sexual abuse of children as well as many writings by the defendant indicating his sexual interest in young children.

One internet discussion site found through a web search reveals a message from "Reb Ruster" quoting someone named "Alan Nicoll," which reads, "On Oct 20, 1996 14:02:13…, ‘Alan Nicoll wrote: Kiddie porn is mental poison. Destroy all your files and never come back here—you won’t regret it.’" The site included numerous discussions in defense of child pornography and pedophilia.

Because of a prior conviction on September 15, 2006, stemming from a joint investigation by the California Department of Fish and Game and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Nicoll faces a mandatory prison term of between 10 and 20 years for possession of child pornography and a mandatory prison term of between 15 and 40 years for receipt or distribution of child pornography. He is also subject to a potential fine of $250,000 for each count and a possible lifetime term of supervised release. His actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court.

Nicoll has been held in custody as a danger to the community and a flight risk, since his arrest on October 25, 2006. Sentencing is scheduled for November 13.

News reports from Bakersfield written about a boy who "lived in Nicoll’s home," said the boy was 10 years old at the time of Nicoll’s arrest and that the boy had been, "taken into protective custody."

According to Alan Nicoll’s ex-wife, Sue Nicoll, both of those statements are incorrect. "Oliver was 11 years old at the time, not 10, and he was not taken into protective custody—he was staying with his step-grandparents at the time and it was decided he would stay there to avoid protective custody. Oliver’s step-grandparents became his legal guardians and he still lives with them," she said in an interview with The Mountain Enterprise Wednesday, Sept. 5.

This is part of the September 07, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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