U.S. Attorney Jesse A. Laslovich | U.S. Department of Justice
A Hardin man, William Serges Joseph, has admitted to a crime related to promoting prostitution involving a minor. According to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, Joseph, aged 76, pleaded guilty to using a facility in interstate commerce to aid racketeering.
Joseph faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The plea agreement suggests that a sentence of at least one year is appropriate. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case and scheduled sentencing for April 18, 2025. Joseph remains detained pending further proceedings.
Court documents revealed that during an interview in March 2023 in Hardin, a juvenile girl identified as Jane Doe reported interactions with Joseph beginning in September 2022. They communicated via Facebook despite Joseph knowing her age. Doe claimed she allowed Joseph sexual contact in exchange for alcohol and that he requested explicit photos from her. In February 2023, Doe's phone contained messages from Joseph offering $50 for sexual contact and included an explicit image.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution with investigations conducted by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, initiated by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative involves federal, state, and local resources aimed at apprehending offenders who exploit children online and rescuing victims.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood visit Justice.gov/PSC.
