Roy Edward Williams, Coercion and Enticement, Oklahoma 2023

A former preacher from Vinita, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to coercing and enticing five minors, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Roy Edward Williams, 63, pleaded guilty to five counts of coercion and enticement of a minor in Indian Country and to possession of child pornography.

The abuse is alleged to have occurred between November 2002 and December 2018, with Williams taking sexually explicit photographs of several of the victims, paying or offering something of value to several victims immediately following the sexual abuse, and threatening several victims to prevent them from reporting the abuse to others.

Williams was a member and preacher at Bunker Hill Baptist in Vinita during the period of the described abuse.

“Roy Williams preyed upon five children over the course of 16 years. He violated their innocence, sense of safety, and trust,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

“In several of these incidents, some adults failed to report the abuse. When children disclose they’ve been victims of sexual abuse, adults need to listen and act on their behalf. Children should not have to hide the abuse they’ve endured nor feel ashamed for the appalling actions of a predator.”

The FBI, Craig County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Paisner and Edward Snow are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006.

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners have a great responsibility to protect our vulnerable community members from the terrifying behaviors of sex offenders such as Roy Williams,” said Ed Gray, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Oklahoma City Division.

“We are grateful for our collaborative partnerships with the Craig County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case as we continue our work to fight child sexual abuse.”

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