NMMI Cadet Gets 10 Years for Child Porn

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Joshua Adam Williams, 21, of Lakeside, California, will spend the next decade in federal prison after being sentenced for possessing child pornography. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, FBI Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade, and New Mexico State Police Chief Pete N. Kassetas announced the sentence handed down late yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces. Williams received 120 months – ten years – followed by 15 years of supervised release. He’ll also be forced to register as a sex offender upon release.

The sentence stems from an investigation that began in August 2014, when a father came forward with disturbing evidence: his child had been creating and sharing child pornography through an online chat room. The FBI seized the child’s phone and traced one specific account to Joshua Williams, then a cadet at the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) in Roswell. Williams was arrested in California on November 4, 2015, after a criminal complaint was filed on October 27, 2015, in New Mexico. He was transferred to Las Cruces on December 11, 2015, to face the charges.

Prosecutors detailed a sickening trove of illegal material. The initial complaint alleged distribution, possession, and attempted production of videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, all occurring while Williams was a student at NMMI in May 2015. Forensic analysis of Williams’ computer and cellphone revealed a disturbing collection: a video of a toddler being sexually molested by an adult, and approximately 100 other videos of minors engaged in sexual activity. Williams ultimately pleaded guilty on April 20, 2016, to a felony information charging him with possession of child pornography, admitting to possessing the material on May 5, 2015.

Beyond the prison sentence and supervised release, Williams was also ordered to pay $210,010.00 in restitution to one of the victims. The investigation was a multi-agency effort, spearheaded by the Roswell office of the FBI, the New Mexico State Police, and the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistance was also provided by the FBI’s San Diego field office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. The New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory also played a vital role in analyzing the digital evidence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. This case highlights the grim reality of online predation and the commitment of federal, state, and local authorities to bring perpetrators to justice. Project Safe Childhood aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children online, as well as to rescue victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

The case also falls under the purview of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which focuses on identifying and capturing individuals involved in online child sexual exploitation within the state. Comprised of 82 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the task force is funded through a grant from the state of New Mexico. This conviction sends a clear message: those who prey on children will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable for their heinous crimes.”