July 22, 2024
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New York man was found guilty today on charges stemming from his travel to have sex with a 13-year old New Jersey resident and his production and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Zachary Williams, 37, of New York, was convicted of two counts of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, production of and possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement of a minor, following a 13-day trial before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In September 2020, Williams met the minor via Snapchat. He lied about his age, telling the victim that he was 17 years old, when he was in fact 33 years old. Williams asked the victim for nude photographs of the victim, after receiving them, began to “sextort” the minor by threatening to send the nude photographs to the minor’s friends and family. He ultimately convinced the minor to meet him at a hotel in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and agreed to allow the victim to delete the nude photographs from his phone. On Oct. 2, 2020, Williams traveled to a hotel in Atlantic County and, two days later, engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor in his hotel room. Afterward, despite his earlier promises, Williams continued to send messages to the minor threatening to expose the minor’s nude photographs.
Law enforcement officers arrested Williams in March 2021 in a sting operation through which they lured him to the same Atlantic County hotel by posing as the minor victim. Williams’ phone contained numerous images of child pornography, which have led to the identification of additional child victims in both the Eastern District of New York and the District of Connecticut, where additional charges remain pending against Williams.
Williams faces a maximum of 30 years in prison on each of the two counts of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years on the production of child pornography, a maximum of 20 years on the possession of child pornography, and a maximum of 10 years on the coercion and enticement of a minor. In addition, Williams faces a $250,000 fine, mandatory restitution to the victims, and lifetime supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and officers from the Galloway Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard D. Barber, and also recognizes the efforts of the Atlantic City Police Department under the direction of Chief James Sarkos and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diana Vondra Carrig and Patrick C. Askin of the Criminal Division, Camden.
24-274
Defense counsel: Mark W. Catanzaro Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com