ST. LOUIS – In a gut-wrenching case of child sexual abuse, William Burns, 41, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually abusing a one-year-old and recording the heinous act.
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross called this one of the worst cases of sexual abuse he had seen in 25 years, as he imposed the sentence on Burns. The judge also ordered him to pay $146,500 to the victims involved in the child sexual abuse material he possessed.
Burns and his wife, Rachel Burns, 35, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to produce child pornography and two counts of production of child pornography. They were arrested on July 30, 2023, by the University City Police Department after planning to sexually abuse an 11-year-old girl they believed was a child.
Investigations revealed that William Burns had vast amounts of child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices and even owned a silicone sex doll resembling a prepubescent female. They also found graphic videos showing them sexually abusing the one-year-old, as well as 13,954 image and video files depicting child sexual abuse material.
In an earlier hearing, a woman revealed that Burns had presented himself as a ‘man of God’ before physically and sexually abusing her. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes described Burns as leaving ‘a trail of wreckage behind him in his life,’ emphasizing his dedication to the sexual abuse of children.
Rachel Burns is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, with the U.S. Attorney’s office recommending no more than 35 years in prison for her. The University City Police Department and other local agencies investigated this case, which was part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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