Smyth County School Board Demands Vice Chairman Resigns Over Child Exploitation Allegations

SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — The Smyth County School Board responded Monday to the arrest of Todd Williams, the board’s vice president.

Williams was arrested at his home on Friday and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said he faces multiple criminal charges related to sexual exploitation.

The DOJ detailed several instances in which Williams allegedly paid minors to send him nude photos and sexually explicit videos. According to the DOJ, Williams spent more than $10,000 between May 2022 and January 2024 to entice at least six underage victims.

Dennis Carter, director of the Smyth County Public Schools Department, told News Channel 11 on Friday that he first learned of the charges against Williams through the media.

On Monday, the school board released its own statement about Williams, calling on him to resign.

The school board said the allegations against him make it “impossible and inappropriate for Mr. Williams to maintain the position of trust he holds as an elected member of the school board.”

You can read the full statement below:

As members of the Smyth County School Board and as citizens of Smyth County, we were shocked and outraged to learn on Friday of the allegations of private, internet-based criminal activity against elected School Board member Todd Williams, as reported in the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia. While the School Board recognizes the presumption of innocence in criminal prosecutions under our legal system, the alleged conduct makes it impossible and inappropriate for Mr. Williams to remain in the position of trust he holds as an elected School Board member. While the School Board has no legal authority to remove an elected member, the remaining members of the School Board call on Mr. Williams to do the right thing for our community and our school division and immediately resign from the Smyth County School Board.

Smyth County Board of Education

The investigation into Williams was still ongoing Friday, the Justice Department said.