William Williams, 27, was arrested April 19, 2016 after a mother told police he took inappropriate photos of her six-year-old daughter.
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January 11, 2017 - 4:32 PM
"I REALLY HOPE HE DOESN'T SEND THOSE PICTURES TO A LOT OF PEOPLE."
KELOWNA – A local man who took more than a dozen sexualized photos of a six-year-old last year was sentenced to four months in jail today.
William Williams, 27, was arrested April 19, 2016 after the mother of a young girl told police her daughter made some troubling comments after spending time with the family friend.
Crown lawyer Angela Ross told Kelowna Provincial Court Judge Brad Chapman the victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, told her mother “(Williams) showed her his new purple rope” while he had her for an afternoon outing.
The victim’s mother was aware of Williams’ fetish for ropes, tying and feet and believed her daughter was telling the truth. She phoned the police.
As Ross read the disturbing circumstances of the case, Williams’ eyes never left the table in front of him. Short and stocky, he has a full beard, glasses and wore a blue button-up shirt to court.
Ross told court Williams had a day of activity with the child planned, and after picking her up from her mother, he detoured to his house, claiming he needed to pick up a set of keys.
He took her inside and led her to the master bedroom.
“He asked me to take my clothes off, I didn’t do that,” the young girl told an investigator. “He was talking about being a pirate. (He) wanted clothes off so he could be a pirate.”
Ross says she agreed to pull up the legs of her pants and he took photos of her feet before tying her legs together and taking more photos. Police were able to recover 18 images of the victim from his cell phone and camera that he attempted to delete. Investigators had to retrieve the data. Some were taken prior to the April 19 incident. The girl wasn't nude in any of the photos, but in one of the photos, he was exposed.
“(He) told me not to tell anyone,” the victim told police. “I really hope he doesn’t send those pictures to a lot of people.”
After he had finished taking photos they left the house and went to the airport to look at airplanes followed by a trip to Tim Hortons to buy her a cookie.
The cookie, Ross said, was “because (the victim) made him happy and did whatever he said.”
Crown wanted a sentence of between four and six months in jail followed by three years of probation. His lawyer called for 90 days, the minimum for this type of offence, and probation.
Judge Chapman called it "a serious offence" deserving of more than the required minimum sentence and sentenced him to four months in prison.
He will also be put on probation for three years following his release.
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