A New York man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting and threatening an 11-year-old girl from Connecticut that he met on Snapchat.
Zachary Williams, 38, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct on Aug. 8, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
Court records show that, in February 2021, Williams started communicating with an 11-year old girl on Snapchat. He then reportedly started to “groom” the girl, convincing her to send him explicit images of herself.
“Once in possession of the images, Williams threatened to post them online for her family, friends and others to see, and used these tactics to pressure the girl to meet him in person,” according to court records.
On two occasions in February 2021, Williams reportedly traveled to Connecticut, where he sexually abused the girl in her home while her family was asleep and recorded it on his iPhone. “After these encounters, Williams used the sexual videos and images he recorded to threaten the girl further so she would not expose his conduct,” court records show.
Williams has been detained since March 13, 2021, after he was charged in the District of New Jersey with similar offenses. On March 18 of this year, he was convicted after trial and sentenced to life in prison, according to court records. He is also charged with child exploitation offenses in the Eastern District of New York, where he is currently awaiting trial.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Galloway Township (N.J.) Police Department.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan offered thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey “for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
To report cases of child exploitation, go to www.cybertipline.com.