Man convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in a New Jersey hotel

A New York man was convicted Monday of sexually assaulting a New Jersey teenager at an Atlantic County hotel after blackmailing the minor with nude photos the teen sent him, authorities said.

Zachary Williams, 37, of New York, was found guilty on two counts of interstate travel for the purpose of illicit sexual intercourse with a minor, production and possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement of a minor, according to a statement from the New Jersey District Attorney’s Office.

In September 2020, Williams met the 13-year-old through Snapchat and told the child he was 17, even though he was actually 33 at the time, the office said.

Williams asked the minor for nude photos and after receiving them, he began “sextorting” the minor by threatening to send the nude photos to friends and family, investigators said. He eventually convinced the teen to meet him at an Atlantic County hotel and agreed to delete the nude photos from his phone.

On Oct. 2, 2020, Williams traveled to a hotel in Atlantic County and had sexual intercourse with the teenager in his hotel room two days later, federal prosecutors said.

Despite his earlier promises, Williams continued to send messages to the minor and threatened to publish the nude photos, officials said.

Detectives arrested Williams in March 2021 as part of an undercover operation in which they posed as the teenager and lured him to the same Atlantic County hotel, authorities said.

Williams’ phone contained numerous images of child pornography that led to the identification of additional underage victims in both New York and Connecticut, where additional charges are pending against Williams, the office said.

The verdict is scheduled for December 4.

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You can reach Chris Sheldon at [email protected].