ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Yacht Owner Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charges
William Richard Hilliard, Jr., 49, of Cherryville, N.C., pleaded guilty to child pornography charges for secretly recording nude videos of underage females aboard his yacht.
The guilty plea was made in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, with U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf presiding over the case.
According to the indictment and filed plea documents, Hilliard was arrested on June 11, 2018, by Myrtle Beach, South Carolina law enforcement officers on charges of video voyeurism.
As part of his plea agreement, Hilliard admitted to producing multiple secret recordings of at least 16 child victims at various locations in North and South Carolina over a period of eight to ten years.
Hilliard’s victims included minors as young as five years old, who were recorded while using the shower and changing clothes. The defendant used multiple hidden devices to record his victims from different angles.
The charges against Hilliard include production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from the FBI’s Charlotte Division, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat the growing online sexual exploitation of children.
Hilliard’s guilty plea is a significant victory in the fight against child exploitation, and we are grateful for the work of law enforcement agencies in bringing this perpetrator to justice.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville thanks the FBI’s Charlotte Division, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is committed to protecting the children of Western North Carolina and bringing justice to victims of child exploitation.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes