A Franklin County man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after admitting to recording and possessing images and videos of his sexual abuse of a one-year-old child. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross handed down the sentence on Wednesday, describing the case as “one of the worst cases of sexual abuse that I’ve seen in 25 years as a judge.” The defendant, William Burns, was also ordered to pay $146,500 in restitution to victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material he possessed.
William Burns, 41, and Rachel Burns, 35, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to produce child pornography and two counts of production of child pornography. William Burns also admitted guilt for possession of child pornography and an additional count of production of child pornography.
The couple was arrested on July 30, 2023 by University City Police after they arranged to meet what they believed was an 11-year-old girl with plans to sexually abuse her. According to plea agreements, Rachel Burns informed investigators about her husband’s collection of illicit material stored on multiple electronic devices. This led the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to search their home where they found digital devices containing evidence as well as other items including a silicone sex doll made to resemble a young girl.
Investigators discovered a video from 2022 showing both defendants abusing a one-year-old child and located more files depicting similar acts from both 2022 and 2023. In total, authorities found nearly 14,000 image and video files with child sexual abuse content on computers and storage devices. Evidence also showed William Burns used WhatsApp to share illegal material with others.
During an earlier court hearing on September 3, a woman testified that she met William Burns when she was 18 years old. She said he presented himself as “a man of God” but then abused her physically and sexually, at one point showing her footage involving the rape of an infant. She recounted that he expressed intentions to have children with her so he could later abuse them.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes told the court that William Burns “has just left a trail of wreckage behind him in his life,” adding: “He was dedicated to the sexual abuse of children.”
Rachel Burns is scheduled for sentencing on October 15; prosecutors have agreed not to recommend more than 35 years for her.
The investigation involved University City Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national effort started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation crimes online through collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
