3D-printed gun promoter Cody Wilson arrested in Taiwan on sex charges, reports say

Cody Wilson, the 30-year-old Texan who sparked national attention for his legal battle over 3D-printed gun designs and who appeared to flee this month to avoid prosecution for an alleged sex crime in his home state, has been arrested in Taiwan, according to news reports.

International authorities arrested him in a Taipei hotel and canceled his passport, BuzzFeed News reported Friday morning.

Wilson was charged Wednesday in Austin, Texas, with having sex with a 16-year-old whom he allegedly paid $500.

That same day, Wilson reportedly signed a six-month lease on a studio apartment in Taipei and paid the first month's rent. But he didn't show up to pick up the keys on Friday. The real estate agent called local police after seeing reports about Wilson on TV, Taiwan News said.

Wilson had arrived in Taiwan on Sept. 6, BuzzFeed said.

It's not clear if or how the criminal prosecution could impact the lawsuit over Wilson's distribution of 3D-printed gun designs, currently pending in federal court in Seattle.

The attorneys general of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were among 20 who sued Wilson after he posted the files, one of which can be used to create a working gun with a 3D printer.

Last month, the federal judge banned Wilson from posting designs online until the court case is decided. Wilson had announced on Aug. 28, just days after the alleged assault and before his trip to Taiwan, that he would sell the files instead.