The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on March 26, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, WILLIAM VERNON WILLIAMS, a 36-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared for sentencing. WILLIAMS was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 180 months

• Special Assessment: $100

• Supervised Release: lifetime

WILLIAMS was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On January 11, 2008, a rent-to-own business in Missoula contacted WILLIAMS' probation officer. The business had located child pornography on a computer leased by WILLIAMS. When law enforcement went to the business to seize the computer, they determined WILLIAMS had a second computer. Probation officers went to WILLIAMS' residence, arrested WILLIAMS for violating his probation, and seized the second computer.

When interviewed, WILLIAMS admitted to renting the computers and to downloading child pornography. WILLIAMS said he is sexually attracted to 9-16-year-old girls and fantasizes about having sex with them. WILLIAMS said he was most attracted to the child pornography files that involved the rape of children or bondage.

Rental paperwork indicated WILLIAMS rented the first computer on December 22, 2007, and the second computer on January 3, 2008.

The computers were forensically analyzed and thirty-two image files depicting child pornography and eleven videos were found on the computers. Some of the images portrayed prepubescent girls and boys. Limewire search terms "childporn adult" and "incest" were located. The internet browser history showed WILLIAMS visited the websites: ".brutal.teens-raped.com", "top.homeincestvideos.net", and "incestmovies.org". The examiner also located five Google search results pages which shows the search terms used as: nude photos of preteen girls; nude photos of incest; and shows "the best" paid websites for forced sex/rape.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that WILLIAMS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, WILLIAMS does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Missoula Police Department and the Montana Department of Corrections - Adult Probation and Parole.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

 

 

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