Captured predator pleads guilty to manufacturing child pornography

NEW BERN, N.C. — A Raleigh man arrested after a public campaign to identify a child predator led to his arrest pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of manufacturing child pornography.

William Akers, 46, was arrested by special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) hours after law enforcement made a public appeal to identify a man seen in a video sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl. The case was investigated by HSI, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh Police Department.

According to the investigation, on Jan. 5, 2014, a state search warrant was executed at Bailey Joe and Elizabeth Mills’ residence and several laptop computers, external hard drives and cellphones were seized. A subsequent computer forensics examination of the seized items located several homemade videos taken by the Mills’. The Mills have previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced for manufacturing child pornography. The videos show Akers sexually assaulted the girl in August 2013. On March 10, 2015, a federal complaint charging “John Doe aka Peter Gilbert” with conspiracy to manufacture child pornography was obtained. Akers was arrested March 12, 2015 after several tip line callers identified him. Akers was the IT manager for a company located in Raleigh.

At sentencing, set for October 2015, Akers faces up to 30 years imprisonment.

Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes is handling the prosecution on behalf of the Eastern District of North Carolina.

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.