Posted on 08/26/2024 12:20:15 AM PDT by OldHarbor
SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — The vice chairman of the Smyth County School Board has been arrested on charges of child exploitation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ announced in a news release that Todd Stewart Williams was arrested at his home Friday.
Williams allegedly spent more than $10,000 between May 2022 and January 2024 to purchase nude images and sexually explicit videos from juvenile victims. The DOJ reports Williams enticed at least six victims during that time.
An investigation into Williams began after a 15-year-old in Oklahoma reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that Williams had asked for nude images and videos of him on Snapchat.
The teenager told authorities in an interview that he had met Williams in a Snapchat group that was intended for gay teenage males, the DOJ reports. Williams reached out after the two had started chatting and allegedly offered to pay for in-app purchases in a video game if the victim sent him nude pictures.
In total, the DOJ reports Williams sent the teen almost $1,000 for photos and videos between August 2022 and January 2024.
After receiving the report from the Oklahoma teen, the FBI began further looking into Williams. Investigators also reportedly learned about a January 2023 instance in which Williams had paid another teen to send him pictures and videos of him sexually abusing his younger, 10-year-old stepbrother.
According to the DOJ, Williams sent that teen $600 over Cash App and then mailed a debit card hidden in a pair of shoes to pay the minor.
Another instance reportedly found Williams had paid a different teenage boy more than $3,000 for nude images and videos of him and his juvenile boyfriend.
The FBI is continuing to investigate the case.
“Sexual exploitation and abuse have grown exponentially through the use of the internet, especially its online gaming platforms,” Christopher R. Kavanaugh, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, stated in the release. “The safety and well-being of children in our communities are top priorities of my Office, and we are committed to the joint efforts with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice.”
Smyth County Public Schools Division Superintendent Dennis Carter provided News Channel 11 with a statement Friday evening, saying he had not heard from authorities himself, but the school district’s administrators and counselors would be available to anyone who needed support.
I have not been contacted directly by law enforcement officials regarding the charges against elected Smyth County School Board member Todd Williams. I was first made aware of the extremely concerning, troubling, and shocking charges when the media reported the information today. Smyth County Public Schools administrators and counseling staff have been made aware of the charges and are available for any students or staff who need support.
Dennis Carter, Ed.D., Division Superintendent of Smyth County Public Schools
You can see the homosexuality in his eyes.
He won’t be smiling when he gets to prison.
No mention of political affiliation, so he must be a Homo Democrat.
It wasn’t easy finding a picture of him, which I thought was strange, considering the nature of the crime.
Pedophiles fill the professions and organizations that permit access to kids.
Thanks for posting article and picture of this evil SOB.
Same evil as killing your own baby, encouraging your daughter to take sterilization drugs and cut off her breasts.
Evil is evil. We legalize some, turn mostly a blind eye to others.
These teen boys are just as evil, just younger. They are this guy 20 years ago.
Pray and fast for our friends and enemies.
Get a rope.
“ The teenager told authorities in an interview that he had met Williams in a Snapchat group that was intended for gay teenage males, the DOJ reports.”
So this was a Snapchat version of the gay club that Walz lead in his school? Got it.
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