Todd County Man Charged with Coercing Minors to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct and with Receiving Child Pornography

BOWLING GREEN, KY—A Todd County, Kentucky man was charged in a three-count indictment this week, with persuading, inducing, and coercing two minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct and with receiving child pornography, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

Jesse Sanford Williams, age 34, was arrested on March 7, 2014, by federal agents in Kentucky, following an investigation that began in the state of Washington on March 28, 2013. According to an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint, Williams allegedly blackmailed, by threat, at least two minor, teen girls in order to receive sexually explicit images of them by means of multiple Gmail and Yahoo Internet accounts. The alleged activities took place between June 2011 and March 2013. Victim-1 lived in Washington and was 13 years of age at the onset of the Internet threats. Victim-2 lived in Todd County and was approximately the same age. At all times, Williams concealed his age and identity from the victims. A subpoena of e-mail accounts determined all e-mail accounts shared the same Internet protocol (IP) address from an account located at Logan Aluminum, a large manufacturing facility located near Russellville, Kentucky. Logan Aluminum officials assisted federal agents in identifying Williams, an employee, as the e-mail account holder through a comparison of computer login times to company work schedules and attendance record, and by reviewing footage from a video camera located inside the plant and near the computer that Williams used. Williams also faces one count of knowingly receiving child pornography between June 2011 and March 2013.

If convicted at trial, Williams faces no more than a combined 60-year term in prison, a fine of $750,000, and a term of supervised release including up to life.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marisa Ford and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville and Seattle Divisions and police in Washington State.

The indictment of a person by a grand jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.