D Walden 
Updated August 17th, 2021
A 69-year-old Lakewood man has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child after a five-month investigation.
Andrew Wilson admitted to authorities that he had about eight hard drives full of child pornography on his laptop and desktop after a search warrant was executed at his home, the Lakewood Police Department said.
He began wiping some of the hard drives after an interview with law enforcement earlier in the month, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Police began looking into Wilson after a detective from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada was investigating a former roommate of Wilson’s on similar accusations, according to the affidavit.
During an initial investigation, the detective learned from witnesses and several FBI reports from the early 2000s that Wilson and his former roommate had “a computer tower full of child pornography” and taught a minor how to access and download child pornography, according to court records.
Additionally, the reports allege that Wilson and his former roommate spent time in Acapulco, Mexico, filming themselves sexually abusing children, according to the affidavit.
Earlier this month, detectives met with Wilson at his home where he revealed he and his former roommate owned an internet cafe in Acapulco, but it was closed after a “significant bust of Americans and Canadians” who claimed they were hosting parties with “too many” underaged boys.
Wilson admitted to detectives about having sexual relations with 16- and 17-year-old boys in Acapulco during the interview, police said.
When asked by investigators if he ever took photos or videos of children, Wilson admitted to taking some on the beach. Investigators asked if any of the children were naked in the images and he replied “well, maybe,” according to the affidavit.
Wilson told investigators that his desktop and laptop were from the late 1990s, but has since upgraded the hardware and recycled the old devices at a community electronics recycling event.
Detectives asked Wilson if he had any pornography on his new computer.
“Well, I don’t have porn on my computer so no,” he replied.
But he told detectives he used to use the dark web through a tor browser to gain access to previous downloaded videos, according to the affidavit.
Wilson said he hadn’t downloaded anything in the past six to 12 months, according to the affidavit.
About a week later, a search warrant was issued and executed at Wilson’s home. Upon entry by officers, he said “you’ll find it all in there,” according to the affidavit.
Authorities allege Wilson produced his own child pornography in Mexico with 13- and 14-year-old boys. Wilson denies trading, sending or distributing the videos.
Detectives believe Wilson could be a potential flight risk as he informed them he has about $3,000 and “a lot more in assets he could sell off.”
Wilson was arrested and is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on a $2 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
