Ky. man posed as a minor on Snapchat to get nude photos from underage girls, cops say
A Kentucky man was charged this week after he pretended to be a minor in order to get pornographic images and videos from underage girls over Snapchat, according to court records.
Lonnie Gene Williams III, a Carter County resident, is facing 86 charges in state court relating to child pornography and sexual abuse. He allegedly admitted to police that he was posing as a minor on Snapchat to send and receive pornographic images with a victim who was under 16 years old, according to an arrest citation filed in Carter County court.
Kentucky State Police were made aware of Williams’ alleged actions by speaking with a victim, according to an arrest citation. Williams admitted to the allegations, according to court records, stating that he’d received about 20 pornographic photos from the victim. He gave officers the passcode to his phone so they could access his Snapchat account.
The victim also told police that Williams previously sexually abused her, and Williams admitted to that allegation too, according to an arrest citation.
The victim police spoke to had deleted images of herself from the Snapchat conversation. But investigators still found 12 pornographic photos of others that Williams had downloaded from Google and sent to the victim, according to an arrest citation.
Police additionally found 61 pornographic images from a second female who was believed to be underage, according to an arrest citation. There were 10 pornographic images of others that Williams downloaded from Google and sent to the second victim, police wrote in the citation.
Williams was charged with 81 counts of possessing or viewing child pornography, one count of sexual abuse with a victim who was under 12, two counts of promoting a sex performance by a minor under 16 and two counts of prohibited use of electronic communication to procure a minor.
Sexual abuse of a victim under 12 is a Class C felony and can be punished with five to 10 years in prison, according to state law. Promoting a sexual performance by a minor is a Class B felony if the victim is under 16 years old, punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison.
Possessing or viewing child pornography is a Class D felony in Kentucky, punishable by one to five years in prison for each charge, according to state law. Prohibited use of electronic communication to procure a minor is also a Class D felony.
Williams, who was arrested Sunday evening, was scheduled to be arraigned on April 7. He was granted a $500,000 bond on the conditions he stay away from the location where the alleged offense happened and avoid contact with the victims and all other minors, according to court records. But he was in jail Thursday, according to jail records.