Pickaway County elections director arrested in case of alleged sexual abuse of minor
An investigation conducted by the Circleville Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation led to the arrest Friday of a 41-year-old Pickaway County man who allegedly sexually abused a minor.
Matthew Nicklas was arrested as Circleville police officers and agents from BCI’s Special Victims Unit conducted a search warrant at Nicklas’ residence in Circleville. The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the search.
Nicklas will initially be charged in Pickaway County Municipal Court, with additional charges anticipated.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the potential crimes is encouraged to contact the Circleville Police Department at 740-420-0488 or BCI’s Special Victims Unit at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6446).
The Pickaway County Prosecutor’s Office has requested that the Special Prosecutions Section of the Attorney General’s Office handle the case.
Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.
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As reported by the Columbus Dispatch and multiple other outlets, Nicklas was serving as executive director of the Pickaway County Board of Elections at the time of his arrest.
The Pickaway County BOE posted on Facebook: "In regard to recent local events, the Executive Director of the Pickaway County Board of Elections has been terminated, effective [Friday], Oct. 4, 2024. His hiring in 2020 was completely within the policies of the Secretary of State and the Board of Elections standards.
“A board meeting was held [Friday] and corrective actions taken. Activities in his personal life have not affected the operations at the Board of Elections. Absentee ballots will be mailed on time, and new registrations are being processed.”
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