A St. Louis man has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography after admitting to recording his sexual abuse of a five-year-old child. Marshall Williams, 41, entered the plea on Monday.
According to court documents, Williams abused the victim and used his cell phone to record the incident in March 2024. The crime came to light when the victim’s aunt discovered videos of the abuse and informed the child’s mother. When confronted, Williams fled, and authorities were contacted.
Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could serve up to 30 years. Sentencing is set for February 19, 2026.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling prosecution.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice,” according to officials. “Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.” More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
