Offender Charged With Possessing Child Porn

A Santa Ana man previously classified as a high-risk sex offender has been charged with possessing more than 1,200 pieces of child pornography that he downloaded from the Internet.

Craig Allen Williams, 37, was named Tuesday in a one-count complaint alleging he had at least 1,233 still photos and 65 video images of child pornography on the hard drive of his computer.

“He’s obviously a danger,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Patricia Donahue. “We believe it’s important to send a message that it’s a crime to acquire these images over the Internet, and we prosecute people for doing it.”

The charges stemmed from an incident last week in which police seized a massive collection of child pornography described by a detective as “the worst, most disgusting” he had ever seen from the home of Williams’ brother in Tustin. Because they received information indicating the material may have come from Craig Williams, they searched his home in the 2900 block of South Bradford Place in Santa Ana and found the additional pornography, according to authorities.

Williams was one of seven high-risk sex offenders identified by Santa Ana police this month under Megan’s Law, which allows officers to publicize the whereabouts of registered offenders. He pleaded guilty in 1988 to molesting a 3-year-old Westminster girl and was sentenced to three years in prison.

If convicted of felony possession of child pornography, he could be sent to prison for five years and be fined $250,000.

An Aug. 18 arraignment has been set for Williams, who is in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.