A St. Louis man has admitted to recording his sexual abuse of a five-year-old child, according to federal authorities.
Marshall Williams, 41, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of production of child pornography. Court documents show that Williams sexually abused the victim and used his cell phone to record the incident in March 2024. The crime was discovered when the victim’s aunt found the videos and notified the child’s mother. When confronted, Williams fled, and police were contacted.
Williams is scheduled for sentencing on February 19, 2026. The offense carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting.
"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. 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," officials stated.
More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
