RALEIGH, NC — A Raleigh man has pleaded guilty in a child porn case that was connected to a Lillington-area day care that was used as a front for creating child pornography, the U.S. Attorney announced Wednesday.
William Towner Akers of Raleigh, a former IT manager for a Raleigh company, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing child pornography, United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker said.CLICK HERE for more photos
According to the investigation, on Jan. 5, 2014, a state search warrant was executed at Bailey Joe and Elizabeth Mills’ residence in Lillington and several laptop computers, external hard drives and cellphones were seized.
A subsequent computer forensics examination of the seized items located several homemade videos taken by the Mills, authorities say. Authorities say that the Mills couple had a day care that was used as a front for the creation of child pornography.
The 34-year-old husband will serve 45 years behind bars and his wife was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The videos show Akers sexually molesting an 8-year-old female in August 2013. On March 10, a federal complaint charging “John Doe aka Peter Gilbert” with conspiracy to manufacture Child Pornography was obtained.
Akers was later identified as the perpetrator and arrested on March 12, 2015 after several tipline callers identified him.
At sentencing, set for the October 2015, term of court Akers faces up to 30 years imprisonment.
The criminal investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations – Raleigh, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Raleigh Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes is handling the prosecution on behalf of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.
