64-year-old Texas man carrying candy travels to Florida for sex with minor, cops say

A 64-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly driving more than 1,000 miles to Orlando from Austin, Texas to have sex with a 9-year-old girl, Bay News 9 reports.

Mark Nichols was taken down as part of a sting operation that involved detectives posing as the girl and her parents through online communication. On Sept. 13 Nichols reportedly responded to an ad offering the chance to have sex with the girl and her parents. He was arrested Saturday after he encountered detectives instead of a child.

According to the arrest affidavit, Nichols was in possession of a bag of Sour Patch Kids, a bag of Skittles and a bottle of lubricant at the time of his arrest.

Nichols faces numerous charges, including attempted sexual battery on a child younger than 12, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and attempted lewd of lascivious conduct. Nichols’ bond has been set for $1,500, but a hold on the case prevents him from leaving Orange County jail.

This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 11:29 AM with the headline "64-year-old Texas man carrying candy travels to Florida for sex with minor, cops say."