Repeat sex offender sentenced to 30 years for making video of himself raping a child

SEATTLE - A previously convicted sex offender who repeatedly raped a child left in his care was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Auburn Police Department.

Leroy Anthony Williams, 33, was arrested in September 2014 when the victim’s mother called the Auburn Police Department after finding a video of a sexual assault of a child on Williams’ phone. Williams attempted to destroy the phone before police arrived, but was unsuccessful. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said Williams’ conduct was “horribly depraved and awful…. We need to get you off the streets and away from children.”

According to records filed in the case, an Auburn resident called 9-1-1 Sept. 29, 2014, after finding a video on Williams’ phone showing him raping an 11-year-old child. Williams has a prior conviction as a juvenile for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old child and repeatedly failed to register as a sex offender as required by law. Because of his prior conviction, Williams was subject to a 25-year mandatory minimum prison term.

Federal charges were brought against Williams in October 2014. He pleaded guilty in December 2015. Following Friday’s sentencing, Williams will be transferred to King County to face charges for the rape of the child in this case. The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hampton.

This case is the result of HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators, and the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

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. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

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.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.