A sex offender arrested last week by Circleville Police on child pornography charges has been released from jail on his own recognizance; that means without putting any cash up front.
26-year-old Nicholas W. Goff, who is a registered sex offender, is accused of possessing and trading child pornography images, according to law enforcement. Over 1,000 images was found on his computer, according to a press release.
He was arrested Friday by Circleville Police Department after a tip was provided to them by Franklin County Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce. Police surrounded his house at 423 East Franklin Street, which sits next door to a local school. When he was booked into the jail on Friday, Goff was given a “no bond” by a local judge immediately after his arrest.
Goff had a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning in the Circleville Municipal Court and his bond was changed. He was released on a signature bond. What that means is, Goff is able to walk out of the Pickaway County Jail on what is more officially known as an “own recognizance bond,” which means he had to put down zero dollars to get out of jail. Goff is expected to be released by 4 p.m. today.
One condition of bond is that he will have to wear an ankle bracelet with GPS monitoring and he can only leave his house for appointments, court appearances, and other court-approved locations, according to the clerk’s office.
In 2014, Goff, then 20, pleaded guilty to attempted pandering of sexually oriented matter involving a minor. He was ordered to register as a Tier II sex offender. A Tier II sex offenders must register their address every 180 days (6 months) for 25 years. Offenses in this tier include pornography, child endangering, compelling prostitution, and gross sexual imposition victim younger than 13, among others.