Jacksonville, Florida Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Michael Eugene Williams (60, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to attempted commercial sex trafficking of a child. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, between February 25 and Sept. 28, 2016, Williams solicited an adult woman in Texas to sexually abuse her 4-year-old daughter, take photographs of the abuse, and then sell the photographs to him. The investigation of Williams began after an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force detective from the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office (JSO) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. JSO obtained a search warrant for Williamss residence and found more than 450 images and videos of child pornography on his cellphone.
In addition to his collection of child pornography, forensic analyses revealed text communications between Williams and an adult woman in Texas beginning in January 2016, and continuing until the date of the search warrant, on July 7, 2016. During this time, there were approximately 337 messages between Williams and the woman, mostly about her 4-year-old daughter. Williams repeatedly requested pornographic pictures and videos of the child and indicated that he was willing to pay for them. He urged the mother to film herself engaged in sexual acts with her child and to have the child perform sexual acts on others. Williams used income from his JSO retirement pension to send at least 19 Western Union wire transfers to the mother as payment.
Immediately after discovering the images and videos of the 4-year-olds sexual abuse, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations and officers from JSO contacted federal and local law enforcement in Texas and the child was removed from the abusive environment.
On Oct. 21, 2016, a search warrant was executed at Williamss home, and agents recovered Williamss newly obtained cellphone containing sexually explicit videos of the 4-year-old girl in Texas and messages detailing his desire to perform sexual acts on the child.
The Texas woman has pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography in federal court in the Northern District of Texas. She faces up to 60 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
--DOJ Middle District of Florida
Source: U.S. Secret Service