A man wanted in Richland County on multiple counts of solicitation of a minor was arrested Thursday at the Ohio State Fair, according to the Richland County Sheriff's Office.
Brandon Walsh, 30, was arrested by U.S. Marshals Thursday at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio, according to deputies. Marshals located Walsh working a carnival ride in the Kids Zone at the State Fair, say deputies.
Deputies say Walsh is wanted on an outstanding warrant in Richland County related to incidents that took place from the end of 2016 through August 2017 at his residence on Deer Harbour Court. Investigators say they received tips from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Walsh was using fake profiles on Facebook to solicit underage females, ranging in age from 13-16.
Specifically, deputies say he would solicit explicit photographs, videos and meetings for sex. If the victims refused, Walsh threatened to post the photos that he already had in his possession, according to deputies.
Investigators say Walsh will face charges after being extradited back to Richland County, including multiple counts of solicitation of a minor.
The arrest resulted from a coordinated effort of the International Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces in South Carolina, the South Carolina Attorney’s General Office, the United States Marshals Service and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Fugitive Task Force.
