- Cody Williams, 31, was sentenced to 12½ years for traveling with intent to illicit sexual conduct.
- He was caught by an undercover officer when he attempted to meet a 13-year-old in Utah for sex.
- Williams, a repeat offender, must serve life on probation post-release.
ST. GEORGE — A repeat child sex offender from Colorado was handed a 12½-year federal prison sentence Wednesday for traveling to Utah to sexually assault a child.
Cody Williams, 31, of Grand Junction, Colorado, pleaded guilty in January to traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. In addition to his imprisonment, he was ordered to serve life on probation.
For over a month in May 2023, Williams exchanged dozens of sexual messages with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but he was actually communicating with an undercover officer the whole time, according to federal prosecutors.
Williams told the "girl" he would teach her about sex, sent explicit videos and repeatedly asked for explicit pictures in return, according to court documents. The undercover officer and Williams then made plans to meet up for sex.
On June 16, 2023, Williams traveled from Colorado to Utah to "engage in illicit sexual conduct" with the "girl," Williams said in his plea statement. Law enforcement followed Williams from his home in Colorado to the planned meeting place in Utah and arrested him.
A charge of coercion and enticement of a minor was dismissed against Williams when he pleaded guilty in January.
"Cody Williams is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. On multiple occasions, he has shown his sexual interest in children and his willingness to act upon it given any opportunity," a sentencing memorandum states.
Federal prosecutors said Williams estimated during a psychosexual interview that he had "sexually touched" around 30 children on approximately 100 different occasions. Williams was previously convicted in Colorado state court in 2021 for unlawful sexual contact after he assaulted a 14-year-old.
This offense is "egregious," and "substantial harm" was only prevented because he was speaking to an undercover officer, prosecutors said.
"Williams' prior sex offenses demonstrate his interactions with the undercover officer were part of a much larger pattern of sexually abusing children and that he represents a substantial danger to any child with whom he comes into contact," the memorandum states.
As part of his probation terms, Williams is ordered to participate in and complete a sex-offender treatment program.
"Communities are safer with predators like Williams behind bars," said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak, of the District of Utah. "Williams is a repeat and dangerous sex offender, and my office has zero tolerance for people who threaten the safety of our most vulnerable population and repeatedly break the law."
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Cassidy Wixom
