Dublin Photographer Faces Child Pornography Charges

A photographer who contracts with a number of area schools is out on bond after being arrested in connection with child pornography, 10TV’s Kevin Landers reported Wednesday.

Grandview Heights Police charged Royce Nicely with pandering obscenity involving a minor. He was arrested in March.

According to a search warrant, Nicely allegedly used a cell phone to take pictures of a teen.

The investigation was initiated by Nicely’s wife, who called Grandview Heights police in March.

The search warrant obtained by 10TV News said that Nicely’s wife found videos on a business computer at the couple’s Dublin home that appeared to show a girl in various stages of nudity. Police also searched Nicely's computer at Petty Studio.

Police said that one of the files showed a female from the waist down, and a forensic examination showed that the girl was recorded unknowingly, Landers reported.

The warrant stated that the forensic examiner also found a movie file that showed prepubescent females ages 9 to 11 posing on a Webcam.

For the past five years, Petty Studio, located on West Fifth Avenue in Marble Cliff, was in charge of taking Grandview Heights City Schools’ athletic photos.

The company also took team photos for sports teams from Upper Arlington, Dublin Coffman and Dublin Scioto. School officials said that the photos were arranged by the booster groups.

Grandview Superintendent Ed O’Reilly said that the studio did take the district’s spring sports photos, but Nicely was not allowed to participate, Landers reported.

“Everything we do is about child safety, and as soon as we found out, we ensured that this man was not involved in our students in any way,” O’Reilly said.

Police said that they did not think any of the school photos taken by Nicely or Petty Studio were tied to the investigation, Landers reported.

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