ER Doctor confesses to obtaining child pornography

Historic City News received word from Middle District of Florida States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill that a Jacksonville emergency room doctor has entered a guilty plea in a child pornography case.

Police arrested 45 year-old Robert Davis Williams after his girlfriend told police she found the material on the computer in their Queens Harbour home.

Williams pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to receiving images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet.

Williams, was named in a criminal Information charging that he knowingly received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct over the Internet.

Williams faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a potential life term of supervised release.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on October 21, 2009, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office received a complaint regarding possible child pornography at William’s residence. JSO officers responded to the residence, and JSO detectives were shown a video file on a desktop computer belonging to Williams which depicted child pornography.

With the consent of an occupant of the residence, the detectives searched the residence and discovered hundreds of compact disks and DVDs containing pornography in Williams’ residence and garage, along with hundreds of adult magazines.

This search also revealed numerous floppy disks, zip disks, and VHS videotapes which contained pornography. Although many of the videos were commercially produced adult pornography, most of the videos had been made or copied on a home computer.

Detectives observed Williams’ computer and discovered an open folder on the desktop monitor which displayed several videos depicting child pornography. Pursuant to the consent, the detectives took custody of the computer, a digital camera and memory card, 41 VHS videotapes, 697 compact disks and DVDs, 62 floppy disks, and two zip disks.

On October 26, 2009, acting at the direction of JSO detectives, the Complainant placed a controlled telephone call to Williams. The telephone call was audio recorded. During this conversation, Williams admitted, among other things, downloading child pornography and apologized for his “sickness.” Williams admitted that he was hiding the child pornography from the Complainant because he was “too ashamed and embarrassed,” further indicating that he would download pornography using peer-to-peer networks.

JSO detectives obtained a search warrant for Williams’ computer, digital camera, and the other media obtained from his residence. A preliminary examination revealed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on several of the compact disks and DVDs. Forensic analysis of Williams’ computer and other electronic media was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations. This analysis revealed approximately 113 videos of child pornography, 93 images of child pornography, and 36 image files from Windows artifacts on Williams’ computer system and the compact disks.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.