A man who applied to be a police officer with the San Diego Police Department has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced Friday.
San Diego resident Robert Lee Williams, 39, applied to be an SDPD officer in April 2011. While completing a pre-employment questionnaire, Williams admitted he had previously viewed child pornography.
Based on his questionnaire, police turned Williams’ information over to the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, who launched an investigation.
In May 2011, investigators executed a search warrant of Williams’ home, seized his computer and two hard-drives and discovered more than 600 sexually explicit images of minors, some as young as two years old.
Williams – a freelance message therapist at the time -- was arrested for possession of child pornography.
The suspect later argued he didn’t do anything wrong because he had been honest on the pre-employment questionnaire and claimed in court that he should not be punished.
However, a judge ultimately sentenced Williams to 240 months in federal prison, in addition to a lifetime of supervised release based on his convictions. Williams was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
