On Monday, a Jefferson City man was sentenced in Boone County to prison for Internet related sex crimes.
The investigation began on September 14, 2012 when Nicholas Bax, 35, started conversing through e-mail to a person whom he
believed was a 14-year-old Boone County boy, but who was actually an undercover detective with the Boone County
Sheriff's Department Cyber Crimes Task Force.
After exchanging several e-mails the conversations moved to cell phone text messaging which continued through October 6,
2012.
During these Internet conversations, Bax arranged to meet the child for the purpose of engaging in
sexual conduct.
Although Bax did attempt to meet the child after the child snuck out of his house late one night he could not find the child.
Bax later sent the child a sexually graphic photograph of himself and attempted to persuade the child to send sexually graphic
photographs of himself to the defendant.
On the morning of Friday October 12, 2012 the Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Jefferson City Police Department served a search warrant a Bax's residence.
As a result of that search several items were seized including a cellular telephone allegedly used in this incident as
well as a computer.
Bax was subsequently arrested and transported to the Boone County Jail and was later charged by the
Boone County Prosecuting Attorney's Office with several charges related to this
incident.
In September of this year Bax pled guilty to three felony offenses and was sentenced on
Monday to 5 years in prison for pleading guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted statutory sodomy in the second- degree and attempted sexual misconduct involving a child.