Clearwater Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material Of An Infant

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virigina M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced William Jack Filing (30, Clearwater) to 15 years in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Filing to register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime of supervision following his release. A federal jury convicted Filing on July 15, 2025.

According to evidence presented at trial, using the online persona “Calcifer_Starflame,” Filing discussed his desire to sexually abuse a baby boy in a one-on-one chat with a co-conspirator on a social media platform. At Filing’s request, the co-conspirator sent videos of an infant child being sexually abused. In response, Filing said that it was his “daydream” to sexually abuse a baby himself and sent explicit photos of himself. When the co-conspirator asked about his preferred age, Filing stated, “1-4, maybe 5 or 6, less words the better.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations–Tampa, with substantial assistance from the Clearwater Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce of Central Florida. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.

This case was 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 (CEOS), 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.

NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.