Smyth County School Board Vice Chairman Arrested on Child Exploitation Charges

A Chilhowie man who is vice chairman of the Smyth County School Board was arrested Friday and charged with sexual exploitation after an FBI investigation found he spent more than $10,000 buying nude photos of at least six minors he met online, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia.

Todd Stewart Williams, 53, is accused of enticing young boys to send him nude photos and sexually explicit videos of themselves and others between May 2022 and January 2024. Three boys named in court documents were between the ages of 10 and 15, while the others were described as teenagers.

According to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Williams faces a federal charge of child sexual exploitation, but it does not say how many charges have been filed. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia did not respond to an email requesting more information.

“Sexual exploitation and abuse have increased exponentially through the use of the Internet, particularly online gaming platforms,” U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh said in the press release. “The safety and well-being of children in our communities are top priorities of my office, and we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice.”

The investigation began after a 15-year-old Oklahoma teen told the FBI in September 2022 that Williams, using a Snapchat username, had solicited nude photos and videos from him, according to an FBI agent’s sworn statement.

The investigation began after a 15-year-old Oklahoma teen told the FBI in September 2022 that someone had solicited nude photos and videos from him via Snapchat, according to an FBI agent’s sworn statement.

The teen told investigators he met the person in a Snapchat group for gay teens and shortly after, the person offered to make in-app purchases in an online video game in exchange for nude photos of the teen, court documents said. Between May 1 and Oct. 1, 2022, the person sent the teen more than $2,000 for nude photos and videos, the documents said.

The FBI launched an investigation into Snapchat’s activities and linked Williams to the username through subpoenas and searches. They found multiple instances of minor exploitation tied to the username, including one in which the user offered to purchase items for an online game for a then-12-year-old who was paid nearly $1,000 for nude photos and videos between August 2022 and January 2024, the affidavit said.

In January 2023, court documents say, Williams met another teen on Snapchat and paid him to take photos and videos of him sexually abusing his stepbrother, who was 10 at the time. Over the course of six months, Williams is accused of paying more than $3,500 for nude photos and videos of the two boys.

In another case, Williams paid a teenage boy more than $3,000 for nude photos and videos of him and his teenage friend, court documents show.

After being arrested at his home, Williams made his initial appearance in federal court in Abingdon Friday morning. He was being held Friday evening at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

Williams represents the Chilhowie District on the county school board. His four-year term ends in December 2027, according to the school district’s website.

School board President Susan Williams did not immediately respond to a phone call Friday seeking comment on Todd Williams’ status on the board. It was unclear Friday whether the two are related.

In January, the board was reorganized, when Todd Williams was elected as vice chairman.

Under Virginia law, a circuit court can remove an elected official for “neglect of a manifest, ministerial duty of the office, abuse of office, or incompetence in the discharge of the duties of the office,” as well as for conviction of certain crimes, such as hate crimes or sexual assault. The petition for removal must receive signatures from registered voters in the district equal to 10% of the votes cast for that office in the most recent election.