AUSTIN (KXAN) — The founder of 3D-printed gun design company Cody Wilson pleaded guilty to injury to a child Friday after accepting a deal with the Travis County District Attorney’s office.
The is a reduced charge as Wilson, 30, was initially charged with the sexual assault of a girl in Travis County. This deal was made to keep Wilson out of jail in exchange for registering as a sex offender for seven years while serving deferred adjudication probation.
By following the conditions of the probation the court will not enter a finding of guilt and Wilson will not be convicted of the charge.
Wilson was arrested in Taipei at a hotel on Sept. 21 by the Taiwan police, assisted by the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service.
The Austin Police Department received a warrant for Wilson’s arrest after a counselor contacted them on Aug. 22, 2018, saying a 30-year-old man had sex with a female under the age of 17. The man in question was later identified as Wilson.
During the investigation, police learned that Wilson interacted with the girl on a website called SugarDaddyMeet.com. He then met her at a south Austin coffee shop. The two eventually went to a hotel in north Austin where Wilson allegedly assaulted her and paid her $500 in cash.
Wilson is a well-known gun enthusiast in Austin. He was the previous owner of Defense Distributed, a non-profit defense firm. He resigned following his arrest.
Wilson gained notoriety in August 2018 after a federal judge banned him from posting his blueprints for a 3-D printed gun online. In return, he decided to sell his blueprints to anyone who wanted them.
Wilson’s remaining eight charges will be dismissed during his sentencing on Sept. 8.
