A Tennessee man, Sean Williams, has been convicted of producing images of child sexual abuse in a federal court in Greeneville. The 53-year-old faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years for each of the three counts in the indictment. Sentencing is scheduled for February 24.
Williams was found in possession of digital storage devices containing over 5,000 images of child sexual abuse, along with drugs and cash, during a police search of his vehicle. Additionally, evidence revealed that Williams sexually assaulted at least 52 women while they were unconscious in his Johnson City apartment.
Williams was convicted on three counts related to images of child sexual abuse involving a 9-month-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old girl. Prosecutors also stated that Williams raped the children's mothers while they were unconscious, with images and videos of these assaults found on his digital devices.
Williams faces additional charges in Tennessee, including child rape and aggravated sexual battery, as well as federal charges in North Carolina for possessing child sexual abuse images and illegal drugs.
In a separate incident, Williams escaped from custody in 2023 but was later apprehended in Florida. He was convicted of the escape and faces a maximum prison sentence of five years.
Three federal lawsuits have been filed against the Johnson City Police Department, alleging negligence in investigating claims against Williams. The lawsuits accuse the police of obstructing investigations into Williams' criminal activities, including drugging and raping women.
An external investigation into the police department's handling of sexual assault cases revealed inconsistencies, inadequate training, and bias. The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have initiated a federal sex trafficking investigation in response to these findings.
The city of Johnson City has denied allegations of corruption and is working to improve its police department's performance in handling sexual assault cases.
