Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to more than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor

Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Koby Don Williams, age 49, of Ellensburg, Washington, was sentenced on one count of Attempted Online Enticement. Williams was convicted of this crime on May 14, 2024, following a jury trial.  United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 135 months in federal prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and information disclosed at trial and sentencing, on July 23, 2022, Williams replied to a decoy Craigslist post as part of an undercover law enforcement operation meant to identify individuals interested in and willing to meet with minors for sex.  The post indicated that “Rebecca” was a 13-year-old prostitute. Over the next three days, Williams called and chatted over text with “Rebecca,” who Williams believed to be a minor. During the conversations, Williams discussed “Rebecca’s” age; what Williams would pay for sex acts, Williams’s employment as a “cop;” and arrangements to meet “Rebecca” at a hotel for sex.

On July 26, 2022, Williams arrived at the Quality Inn in Othello, Washington, to meet “Rebecca.” He was met by law enforcement and arrested. Following a search of Williams and his vehicle, officers located Williams’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge, two bottles of generic Viagra, and $4,075 in U.S. currency in a credit union envelope. Williams testified at trial both that he did not believe “Rebecca” was a minor and that he was there to rescue a minor. The guilty verdict at trial demonstrated that jurors did not believe Williams’s testimony.

“Mr. Williams held a duty of trust within the Eastern Washington law enforcement community, and he breached that trust by seeking out what he thought was a child for sex. He then attempted to use his position as a law enforcement officer to explain away his conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by local and federal law enforcement, and by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Wick, who secured the guilty verdict at trial, Mr. Williams is now being held accountable.”

“Mr. Williams knew exactly what he was doing as he attempted to meet a minor for sex.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “What makes this even more despicable is that he was a member of law enforcement, entrusted with protecting the public. Mr. Williams’ actions both endangered our community’s most vulnerable and betrayed the trust endowed to our public safety professionals.  Safeguarding children is not only a priority for the FBI but is also one of the more noble tasks we perform.”

“Sexual exploitation of children, human sex trafficking of children, and internet crimes against children often go unnoticed. It is deeply concerning when a member of law enforcement is involved in committing these horrific acts,” said Othello Police Detective Sergeant Brent McFarlane. “Sadly, the online world provides criminals with easy access to children. This stark reality underscores the need for proactive and coordinated investigations. This case demonstrates the collaboration between federal and state partners to protect the most vulnerable and hold perpetrators accountable.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

This case was investigated by the FBI, DHS/OIG, Othello Police Department, Moses Lake Police Department, and the Toppenish Police Department, with the assistance of the Washington State Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Wick.