GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A Clay County school bus driver is facing 13 child pornography charges after an investigation in May found he had photographs of children performing sex acts in his possession, according to a Clay County arrest report.
Marion Keith Nichols, 56, who ran as a write-in candidate in the 2016 superintendent election in Clay County, was arrested Wednesday at his Green Cove Springs home, deputies said.
Nichols received 363 votes, compared to the 73,312 votes for the winner Addison Davis.
He is facing 13 felony counts related to possession of photographs of a sexual performance by a child. He was booked into the the Clay County Jail.
“This type of crime will not be tolerated. We have made several arrests involving explicit images of children. My detectives often work closely with Homeland Security Investigations on child exploitation cases. This is a serious problem and we are cracking down on those who commit heinous acts on our kids,” Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels said.
Nichols declined to comment Thursday when News4Jax contacted him.
His wife, Elvira Nichols, indicated he's not on the job right now and said, "I can't tell you that," when asked if Nichols was innocent.
The district confirmed Nichols is a bus driver for the Clay County School District and that he has been suspended pending the outcome of the Clay County Sheriff's Office investigation.
A district spokesperson said Nichols was hired in 2008 after an extensive background check required for all employees. His last assignment as a bus driver included a route with a monitor, which means another adult was on the bus.
“As a district, we are shocked by the allegations regarding Mr. Nichols as well as devastated if found true. The district would like to reassure families and staff that at no time during the employment of Mr. Nichols were there any concerns relating to the current charges brought to our attention," Superintendent Davis said. "We will continue to partner with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office as they lead this investigation."
According to Nichols' arrest affidavit, a Clay County Special Victims Unit detective received a cyber tip that Nichols might be in possession of child pornography.
The detective interviewed Nichols on May 26, but the content of that interview was redacted from the affidavit.
The affidavit indicated that the day after the interview, the detective went through the trash at Nichols' home and found electronic devices and mail that led to more electronic searches, which turned up images that a child protection team doctor determined were child pornography.
Other child exploitation cases
Clay County detectives have made several arrests since February involving child exploitation.
Kevin Michael Steedley, 27, of Green Cove Springs was charged July 5 with three counts of possession of child pornography. He confessed to possessing explicit images and videos of children, deputies said.
Detectives arrested Anthony Mark Jacobs, 21, of Middleburg on a charge of using a computer to solicit, lure or entice a child and transmission of harmful material to a child. He sent lewd images of himself online to a minor and possessed child pornography, deputies said. Authorities arrested him July 5.
Jason Peter Fruish, 39, of Orange Park was charged July 13 with soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using a computer and possession of child pornography. He engaged in an online relationship with a minor and sent lewd images to the minor, deputies said. He also received lewd images from the minor, deputies said.
Rashawn Dante McCloud, 23, of Jacksonville faces a charge of transmission of harmful material to a child. Investigators found that he tried to solicit sex online with a minor in Orange Park and showed the child lewd images of himself, deputies said. He was arrested Feb. 24.