The News Room [News Archive]

Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Release Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Sheriff says Ohio businessman came to area planning to meet 14-year old for sex --- 50-year old from Akron was met instead by undercover deputies

Wayne County undercover sheriff's deputies today arrested a 50-year old Akron, Ohio man they say had arranged to have sex with who he thought was a 14-year old girl, according to Sheriff Warren Evans. It is the second time in recent months that a suspect has come to Wayne County from another state with the intention of having sex with a minor. In November, 29-year old Shawn Huartson of California was arrested in a similar meet. He is currently free on personal bond awaiting trial.

Evans said that today's suspect, Gary Williams, who is a manager for an Ohio janitorial company, had chatted with an undercover deputy for about two weeks before he arranged the meeting. Originally, Williams had planned to drive to Michigan with the sole purpose of meeting the "girl," but instead was able to arrange a business meeting in the area.

"Once Mr. Williams knew when and where he was going to be in the Wayne County area, he initiated a meeting with our undercover officer," Evans said. "When he arrived at the meet location, he had in his possession a map from his hotel to the meeting place."

The meeting took place at a location on the east side of Detroit at approximately 9:30 am Tuesday, January 20th. According to officers, Williams' plan was to take the girl to the Farmington Hills hotel where he is staying while on his business trip.

Evans said his investigators would work with authorities in Summit County, Ohio to get a search warrant for Williams' home, where they plan to seize his computer as evidence.

"We expect that we will find evidence of our chats on his hard drive," Evans said. "That will become a key part of our case as we prepare to go to trial."

Evans added that his Internet Unit has maintained a 100 percent conviction rate since he established it just over a year ago.

Williams is charged with two counts of illegal use of the Internet and is being held at the Wayne County jail and is being held on $250,000 cash bond. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

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