ST. LOUIS – Kody L. Willyard, 32, of Barnhart, Missouri, has confessed to a sickening pattern of abuse: trading drugs, alcohol, and vaping devices for sexual acts with an underage girl. Willyard pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to one felony count of coercion and enticement of a minor, admitting to preying on a vulnerable victim between the ages of 14 and 15.
The details are particularly disturbing. Willyard allegedly supplied the girl with marijuana, alcohol, and various vaping products – cartridges and devices – as payment for her compliance. This wasn’t a one-time incident; it was a sustained exploitation, a calculated abuse of power over a child. The extent of Willyard’s depravity was only uncovered through the diligence of a concerned father.
The victim’s father, rightfully alarmed, stumbled upon evidence of Willyard’s crimes while reviewing his daughter’s social media accounts and digital communications. What he found prompted an immediate report to law enforcement. The victim subsequently corroborated the father’s findings, and chillingly revealed to authorities that Willyard had also engaged in similar predatory behavior with another girl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case and will be recommending a 15-year prison sentence at Willyard’s sentencing in September. Willyard’s legal counsel is also expected to recommend the same lengthy term. However, the crime carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years behind bars – a small measure of justice for the harm inflicted.
The investigation, a joint effort by the FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, underscores the need for constant vigilance in protecting vulnerable children. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to bolster resources for locating, apprehending, and prosecuting offenders, and rescuing victims.
The Department of Justice, through Project Safe Childhood, is committed to dismantling networks of predators like Willyard. Those with information regarding child exploitation are urged to contact their local law enforcement agencies or visit www.justice.gov/psc. The exploitation of children will not be tolerated, and those who engage in such heinous acts will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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