A Superior man was sentenced to probation and work release in his child pornography case.
Ronald Eugene Williams, 50, pleaded guilty in March to one count of sexual exploitation of a child – possession of more than 20 items and violation of a protection order.
The plea agreement stipulated Williams would serve sex offender intensive supervised probation, with the length of the sentence and any punitive sanction open to a judge.
Boulder District Judge Thomas Mulvahill ultimately sentenced Williams to eight years of sex offender intensive supervised probation and one year of work release. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
Williams is already in custody at the Boulder County Jail.
Boulder Deputy District Attorney Nick Trevino lobbied for the one-year work release sentence as opposed to the 180-day sentence the probation department recommended.
Trevino noted that in addition to the sheer amount of material found on his devices, Williams failed to appear on the case for a lengthy period of time and was ultimately found in a religious commune with young children.
“There’s obviously a lot of concerning facts with this case,” Trevino said. “I think the facts of this case warrant that type of punitive sanction.”
Williams’ attorney Katherine Spengler said Williams during that time had been trying to obtain treatment, while Williams also apologized to the court.
“I feel bad for anybody it affected, and I want help,” Williams said.
Mulvahill said he took into account Williams’ lack of criminal history and the fact that he was cooperative with investigators.
“He was pretty forthcoming, more forthcoming than many offenders,” Mulvahill said. “That’s something that gives me hope.”
But Mulvahill said Williams failing to appear in court only to be found violating conditions of his bond by being near children was “highly concerning behavior.” He also noted, “We’re talking about an incredible amount of images.”
Given that Williams will also be given credit for 140 days of time served, Mulvahill said a one-year work release sentence was warranted.
“There are significant concerns, and there are significant sex offending concerns,” Mulvahill said.
According to a release, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office detectives assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children task force in 2020 received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about illegal internet activity at a residence in the 200 block of Mohawk Circle, specifically related to child exploitation material.
Multiple people lived in the residence, but detectives identified Williams as the suspect through interviews and searches of electronic devices, the release said.
Forensic examination of Williams’ devices indicated he was using “anonymous chat applications and a dark web browser to conduct his illegal activity,” and that Williams “often posted as a single mother on these chat applications to distribute, receive and exploit illegal images from other users.”
There were more than 8,000 known child exploitation images and videos found on Williams’ devices.
