Former Vice Chairman of Smyth County School Board Pleads Guilty

ABINGDON, Va. – The former Vice Chairman of the Smyth County School Board pled guilty today to using at least six minor, male victims to produce child pornography.

Todd  Stewart Williams, 54, of Chilhowie, Virginia, pled guilty today to four counts of persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing and attempting to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more minors to engage in any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, in interstate commerce.

“The Internet has expanded the manner in which young people can be targeted by those looking to exploit them,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “Importantly, this case demonstrates that even those who are entrusted by our communities to oversee the welfare of our children may harbor intentions to exploit them, and for that reason we must be ever vigilant and responsive when our young people report abuse. I am thankful to the FBI both in Virginia and elsewhere for their diligence in bringing this case to justice.”

“There is no place in our communities for someone who manipulates and abuses children, especially by someone in a position of influence. In addition to committing numerous reprehensible acts against minors, Williams betrayed the trust of parents in Smyth County where he was elected to oversee the education and well-being of students,” said Stanley Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “The FBI Richmond team stands with parents and educators to protect our children and ensure justice is served for all who seek to harm them.”

According to court documents, Williams’s criminal activity came to the attention of law enforcement in September 2022 when a 15-year-old teenager living in Oklahoma reported to the FBI that Williams, using the Snapchat username “todd_w3411” requested nude images and videos of him.

During an interview with law enforcement, the teen told investigators he met Williams in a Snapchat group intended for gay teenage males. Soon after they began chatting, Williams reached out to the teen and offered to make in-app purchases in an online video game in exchange for nude pictures of the teen.

The FBI’s investigation uncovered multiple instances of Williams’s exploitation of multiple minors.  In one instance, Williams used Snapchat to communicate with a then 12-year-old minor and offered to purchase items for an online game before eventually offering to buy nude pictures and videos from the boy.

Between August 2022 and January 2024, Williams sent the young victim nearly $1,000 in exchange for nude images and videos.

In January 2023, Williams met another teen on Snapchat and paid the teen to take pictures and videos of him sexually abusing his younger stepbrother, who was 10-years-old at the time. As directed by Williams, the teen would approach his stepbrother in his bedroom at night and force his stepbrother to watch pornography and engage in sexual acts.

Because the teen reached his $600 monthly limit on Cash App transactions, Williams mailed him a debit card hidden inside a pair of shoes to ensure he was able to purchase his videos.

In a six-month period, Williams paid over $3,500 for nude images and videos of the teen and his stepbrother.

In yet another interaction with a young teenage boy on Snapchat, Williams paid over $3,000 in exchange for nude images and videos of him and his teenage boyfriend.

In all, Williams spent more than $10,000 buying nude images from at least six underage male victims.

At sentencing, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of up to fifteen years in prison and up to thirty years.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.