Columbia man arrested in child porn case

A Columbia man was arrested Thursday at his home on suspicion of promoting and possession of child pornography, Boone County Sheriff’s deputies said.

Randall Nienkamp’s arrest culminates a 3-month child pornography investigation by the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force.

On July 11, detectives served a warrant at Nienkamp’s Apple Tree Court apartment and seized his personal computer. A lengthy investigation of his computer found evidence linking the suspect to the promotion and possession of child pornography, said Detective Andy Anderson, a member of the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force.

Anderson said he could not comment on the nature of the evidence against Nienkamp or the Task Force’s methods of investigation.

“We work these kinds of cases on a routine basis — cases involving the possession, downloading, uploading and trading of child pornography through the Internet,” he said.

As of Thursday, Nienkamp, 26, was being held at the Boone County Jail on $40,000 bond.