South Carolina Doctor Sentenced To 10 Years For Internet Enticement Of A Minor

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced John Francis Williams (69, Blytheville, SC) to 10 years in federal prison for using the Internet to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. Williams was found guilty on August 31, 2015, after a four day jury trial.

According to evidence presented at trial, in October 2012, while visiting his vacation home in Port Orange, Florida, Williams responded to a Craigslist ad. The ad had been placed by an undercover officer posing as the mother of a 14-year-old girl who was looking for a man to teach her child about sex. After a series of emails and phone calls with the “mother,” Williams drove to a house where he intended to have sex with the teen. He brought an overnight bag containing condoms, lubricants, and vibrators. At the time, Williams was a practicing cardiac anesthesiologist.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

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.