Ohio Priest Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexually Exploiting and Extorting Young Boys Who Went to Him for Help

A priest in Ohio has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually exploiting boys and having a large collection of child pornography.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi sentenced 41-year-old Rev. Robert McWilliams to life in prison, saying he destroyed the lives of young boys who went to him in need of help. The man reportedly extorted the children who reached out to him for help by holding the details of their confessions against them.

“This defendant violated and exploited children in nearly every manner imaginable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan. “Using his role in the Church, Mr. McWilliams violated the sacrament of confession to identify potential victims, and offered religious counseling to victims he extorted under alter egos he intentionally created to conceal his own identity.”

He continued: “He also used social media to target and entice young children into the exploitive world of juvenile sex trafficking, all after having already amassed a large collection of violent child pornography. We commend the victims and their families for the courage they have shown. We are also thankful to Homeland Security Investigations, the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work on this case and all cases involving perpetrators who target our children.”

McWilliams, a resident of Strongsville, Ohio., previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count each of transportation of child pornography, receipt and distribution of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography, according to a statement on the website for the Northern District of Of Ohio’s United States Attorney’s Office.