PLANO, Texas — A 51-year-old
Frisco, Texas man has been found guilty of four counts of child exploitation
violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Alan R.
Jackson today.
William Craig Whisman was found
guilty by a jury of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, possession of
child pornography, receipt of child pornography and distribution of child
pornography. The verdict was reached Friday afternoon, Feb. 9, 2018,
following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.
According to information presented
in court, in November 2016, Whisman responded to an ad placed by an undercover
FBI agent who was making a child available for sex. Whisman responded
within hours of the ad being placed, stating a desire to meet and "play"
with the child. Over the course of approximately 1 week, Whisman
repeatedly messaged the undercover agent, stating his interest in engaging in
illegal sex with the child. Whisman and the undercover agent discussed
the child's interests, her schooling, and the acts Whisman wanted to perform on
the child. Ultimately, on Nov. 15, 2016, Whisman arrived at a Walmart
located in Plano, Texas to meet the child and to attempt to persuade, induce,
entice, and coerce the child into engaging in sex acts with him.
At the time of the arrest, Whisman
was in possession of a gift for the child, as well as a cellular phone.
Forensic analysis of the phone revealed the chats between Whisman and the
undercover agent. Agents also located chats with a number of other individuals,
in which Whisman knowingly received and distributed images and videos of child
pornography, and discussed his interest in engaging in sex acts with children.
As part of the investigation,
members of law enforcement also seized Whisman's MacBook laptop computer from
his residence. Evidence introduced at trial revealed more than 1,000
images of child pornography saved in user-created folders on the computer. Whisman
was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 16, 2016.
Under federal statutes, Whisman faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in
federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is
provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by
the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory
factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a
presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted as
part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing
epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the
Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal
Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe
Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate,
apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as
well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe
Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Plano Police Department, and the Frisco
Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Marisa Miller and Lesley Brooks.
Davilyn Walston
Public Information Officer/Law Enforcement Coordinator
U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Texas
