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Zachary Williams 33, told the victim that he was 17 when they first met on SnapChat last September, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael A. Honig said Tuesday.
Williams asked for and got nude photos of the victim, then threatened to send them to the Galloway Township teen’s family and friends, she said.
“He ultimately convinced the victim to meet him at a hotel in Atlantic County and agreed to allow the victim to delete the photographs from his phone,” Honig said.
They met there and had sex in the room in October, she said.
Williams didn’t stop, though.
He continued to send threatening messages after being blocked by opening new social media accounts with names such as “IWILLHURTYOU Iwilll_h2021,” “IWILLGETTHESWITCHBACK,” and “Makeadealormomfindsout," Honig said.
Detectives took over the victim’s social media accounts in March, posing as the victim in messages with Williams, she said.
Eventually, Williams arranged to return to Atlantic City for another rendezvous, the U.S. attorney said.
FBI agents were waiting when he showed up this past weekend, she said. They charged Williams with “interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.”
He’s since remained held pending a video-conferenced first appearance Tuesday afternoon before a U.S. magistrate judge in Camden.
Honig credited special agents of the FBI and Galloway Township police and thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of Honig’s Camden office is handling the case for the government.
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