ASHLAND — Additional details in the case against Ohio Highway Patrol Trooper Tyler Anderson of the Ashland Post were revealed during a bond setting hearing Tuesday.
Anderson appeared before Ashland County Common Pleas Magistrate Paul Lange via Skype from the Ashland County Jail. He faces one count of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, a second-degree felony.
The Ohio Highway Patrol initiated termination proceedings immediately upon Anderson’s arrest last week. Anderson waived his right to a pre-disciplinary hearing and was officially terminated Tuesday, according to a patrol spokesman.
Ashland County Prosecutor Chris Tunnell told the magistrate Anderson allegedly used a “spy-type” camera to videotape a 17-year-old female in the bathroom at Anderson’s residence in 2016. The alleged victim was a friend of the family, according to Tunnell.
Tunnell said the charge in the complaint against Anderson is based on time stamps from the videos in question. The time stamps are in May and June 2016, when the alleged victim was 17 years old.
“Approximately 10 minutes before this hearing I was given an update on the investigation where apparently there is now a question as to when this videos were taken, as to the date stamp,” Tunnell said.
According to the prosecutor, “if the victim was 18, there is no offense.”
Tunnell said the investigation is ongoing and added believes evidence from the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation could prove fruitful in the case.
The prosecutor reccomended Anderson be released from jail on a personal recognizance bond.
“The defendant does not have any priors. He was not out seeking victims from the community at large,” Tunnell said. “And regardless of what his status was prior to being arrested on this charge, I would make this reccomendation based on the status of the evidence at this point.”
Lange ordered that Anderson be released on personal recognizance, or his promise to appear for future hearings and to comply with conditions set by the court. The magistrate also ordered Anderson should have no unsupervised contact with minors while the case is active and no contact whatsoever with the victim, who is being referred to as Jane Doe.
Lange asked if Anderson understood the conditions of bond.
“Yes I do, and you won’t have any problems with me, I promise,” Anderson responded.
Anderson said he intends to hire an attorney to represent him in the case.
His next court appearance will be 3:30 p.m. Thursday via Skype.
