Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging ZACHARY WILLIAMS, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, with offenses related to his alleged sexual exploitation of an 11-year-old girl who was living in Connecticut.
As alleged in the indictment, on two occasions in February 2021, Williams crossed state lines with intent to engage in a sexual act with an 11-year-old girl, and engaged in sexual acts with the girl. He also produced at least three videos of the girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment charges Williams with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse with children, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment on each count; one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; and one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of life imprisonment.
Williams has been detained since March 13, 2021, in New Jersey, where he has been charged with additional federal child exploitation offenses.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Galloway Township (N.J.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.