PEORIA, IL – Harold L. Williams, 40, of Pekin, Illinois, will spend the next 47 years behind bars after receiving a brutal sentence for the sexual exploitation of a minor. U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid delivered the sentence today, slamming Williams for his continued predatory behavior even while under federal supervision.
The 47-year term comprises 45 years for enticing an out-of-state minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, resulting in the production of child pornography. An additional two years were added consecutively for violating the terms of his lifetime supervised release following a prior conviction. Judge Shadid didn’t stop there, ordering Williams to remain on lifetime supervised release *again* upon his eventual release from prison – a small consolation given the length of his sentence.
Williams formally pleaded guilty to the charge moments before sentencing. The crimes occurred between January and April 2019, a mere month after he was released from federal prison after serving time for similar offenses. This wasn’t Williams’ first rodeo. In 2010, he was convicted in both state and federal court, receiving six years in state prison for aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Peoria County and a ten-year federal sentence for possession of child pornography.
The court heard how Williams immediately violated his supervised release terms by creating a Facebook account. He used the platform to communicate with minors and trade child pornography with other users. He actively solicited and received sexually explicit images from an out-of-state victim he knew was a minor, demonstrating a chilling disregard for the law and the well-being of children. Furthermore, Williams possessed unauthorized devices, bypassing required monitoring software, to facilitate his illicit online activity.
Williams has been held by the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on April 9, 2019. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Secret Service, the Pekin Police Department, the U.S. Probation Office, and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge successfully prosecuted the case, securing a sentence that reflects the severity of Williams’ crimes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national Department of Justice initiative dedicated to combating the horrific problem of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative aims to protect children and bring predators like Harold L. Williams to justice. Information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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