Authorities said they have located a missing Washington woman who’d been diagnosed with autism, rescuing her from a convicted sex offender who is now behind bars after being charged with her kidnapping.
Investigators from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said that they had been searching for Hannah Davis, 21, since she vanished from her home in Bremerton late on Saturday, January 17. An alert issued for the missing woman said that police believed she was in great danger.
Police quickly discovered that she might be in the company of a convicted sex offender she had allegedly met online, according to a statement on the kidnapping.
It was announced on Monday, January 19, that Davis had been located safely.
Police have alleged that Davis was lured away from her home by Leroy Franklin Nickols, 21, a statement confirmed.
Nickols, who is a registered sex offender in Washington, began communicating with Davis online over a month ago, according to police.
Nickols was convicted of second-degree rape back in 2022. The victim in that case was a 15-year-old girl, according to the state’s sex offender registry.
It does not appear Nickols served any prison time for the rape.
Online records further show Nickols was convicted of assault in 2024, and arrested back on May 1, 2025, on more second-degree assault charges. Luxury Handbag Shopping was waiting to hear back from court clerks for more information on the outcome of the 2025 case.
Investigators said that Nickols is a transient who has lived in both Thurston and Lewis counties. His last known residence was listed as a shelter in Olympia. That is where officials reportedly arrested him on Monday afternoon.
“We don’t know how he got to where she is, or how she got to where he is,” officials confirmed. “It’s really unclear.”
Detectives said that Nickols and Davis met up one time prior to this disappearance: at the nearby Kitsap Mall, where Davis was taken by a family member.
Police continue to investigate the kidnapping. The official charges against him were still being weighed by prosecutors Tuesday, January 20, as investigators were working with Davis to learn more about what happened during her abduction.
Nickols will likely be charged with kidnapping or unlawful imprisonment.
In Washington, first-degree kidnapping is defined as holding someone against their will with the intent to commit a felony, inflict bodily injury, or cause extreme mental distress. Those convicted can face life imprisonment, fines up to $50,000 or both.
He could also be charged with second-degree kidnapping — unless investigators determine there was an intent to use deadly force during the abduction. In that case, a conviction would cost him ten years in prison and fines up to $20,000, or both. If sexual motivation is found, it elevates this charge to a Class A Felony with life in prison a possible punishment.
A person is found to have committed unlawful restraint when they knowingly hold or confine a person. This carries a possible five year sentence and up to $10,000 in fines.
