FLEMING ISLAND – A month’s long investigation led to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office serving a search warrant Friday morning for the owner of the Locked In Escape Rooms on 10 counts of …
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FLEMING ISLAND – A month’s long investigation led to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office serving a search warrant Friday morning for the owner of the Locked In Escape Rooms on 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material
John Richard Nicholls, 63, Fleming Island, was booked into the Clay County Jail Friday morning after being charged with 10 counts of possession of viewing and controlling depictions of child sexual conduct.
In partnership with the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, detectives received several tips regarding SCAM and immediately began their investigation. They served search warrants at his home in the Lookout Landing Subdivision near Doctors Lake and at his business in the Silos Shoppes on County Road 220 in Middleburg, where they removed numerous electronic devices. He was detained while they investigated the devices, but he was arrested after an initial review of the devices.
His bond was set at $750,030.
Nicholls and his wife have owned Locked In since 2017, one of the first in Clay County. They said they’ve been designing their current theme “Grinch” game from scratch for about a year, crafting storylines and outlining the scenery. They began building it around six months ago.
The investigation is still ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to call the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 264-6512, submit a tip via the SaferWatch App, or you can contact First Coast Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous.
The Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force is a unique public/private partnership where nonprofit organizations provide financial, technical, and other resources to regional law enforcement partners dedicated to the fight against human trafficking and child exploitation. Support from Operation Light Shine and partner donors like the Tim Tebow Foundation allows law enforcement agencies to serve better the northeast Florida communities and the many victims of human trafficking and child sexual exploitation.
Members of the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force consist of members with HSI Jacksonville, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, Duval County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Attorney with the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
