Tennessee businessman accused of sexually assaulting women charged with child rape, exploitation

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A Tennessee businessman who has been accused of recording the sexual assaults of more than 50 women has also been charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse, according to First Judicial District Attorney Steve Finney. 

Sean Williams is at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by 10 anonymous women who accuse the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) of ignoring their complaints about him, who they say drugged and raped them at parties held in his downtown apartment.

Prior to the federal lawsuit, Williams had been on the run for two years after former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kateri Dahl — who alleges that Johnson City officials fired her after she brought forth her concerns about Williams — charged him with being a felon in possession of ammunition in 2021.

North Carolina police eventually caught up with Williams in April, learned he was a fugitive and executed search warrants, finding videos on his electronic devices that allegedly showed him raping 52 different women.

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Sean Williams is at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by 10 anonymous women accusing the Johnson City Police Department of ignoring their complaints about Williams, who they say drugged and raped them at parties held in his downtown apartment. (Laurel County Jail)

A spokesperson for the Western Carolina University (WCU) police told Fox News Digital last month that investigators found Williams parked on school property and conducted a routine check.

WCU police found drugs in his car and obtained a search warrant for his devices, on which they found videos and images of 52 different victims appearing to be sexually assaulted by Williams, as local outlet WJHL first reported. Additionally, one of the thumb drives contained more than 5,000 images of child pornography, the spokesperson said.

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Williams, former owner of Glass and Concrete Contracting LLC in Tennessee, pushed back against the allegations in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital published Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Western North Carolina University police told Fox News Digital that officers found Sean Williams, former owner of Glass and Concrete Contracting LLC in Tennessee, parked near campus on property owned by the university in April and did a routine check. (Washington County Sheriff's Office)

"I have no charges relating to the alleged data," he said. "[I]f it existed, I would have been already charged."

A day later, Finney filed a total of 29 child sexual abuse charges against Williams stemming from three separate cases, including two counts of child rape and four counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in the first case; three counts of aggravated sexual battery of a person under the age of 13 and 12 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in the second case; and four counts of child rape and four counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in the third case.

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That same day, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Gomez for the Eastern District of Tennessee filed charges against Williams on three counts of child pornography production involving three separate victims.

Lawyers representing the 10 "Jane Does" who have accused Williams of drugging and sexually assaulting them filed suit against the city and its officials in June.

North Carolina police located drugs in Sean Williams' car and obtained a search warrant for his devices, on which they found videos and images of 52 different victims appearing to be sexually assaulted by Williams, as local outlet WJHL first reported. (Jackson County Sheriff's Office)

"From November 2019-2020, JCPD received at least six reports alleging Williams had attempted to drug and/or sexually assault women in his apartment in downtown Johnson City. Instead of arresting Williams, however, JCPD officers treated Williams as though he were, in the words of Detective Toma Sparks, ‘untouchable.’"

The federal complaint alleges that between 2018 and 2021, Williams, "a known drug dealer and convicted felon," conspired with a man named Alvaro Fernando Diaz-Vargas, who is described as "young and good-looking," and an unnamed woman "to recruit local women and bring them directly to Williams’ garage and apartment, where he would drug and sexually assault them." In return, Williams allegedly gave Diaz-Vargas and the woman free housing.

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All the victims mentioned in the lawsuit allegedly became incapacitated after drinking or using drugs at Williams' apartment or with his accomplices. They also all allege that Williams tried to rape or assault them while they were incapacitated.

Prior to Williams' attempted escape, lawyers representing 10 "Jane Does," or sexual assault victims who are remaining anonymous, filed a lawsuit against Johnson City, arguing that Williams raped women "for years" and "officers of the Johnson City Police Department ('JCPD') let him get away with it." (FOX 17)

One victim allegedly became incapacitated after having a drink at Williams' apartment, left in her car and crashed into the concrete base of a lamppost, dying on impact. Two of the victims went to police to report the incidents, and one victim contacted the FBI.

JCPD told Fox News Digital in a statement that "[t]he remainder of facts will present themselves in a court of law" and that the department is asking "that judgments be reserved until that process unfolds."

"In the meantime, Johnson City remains diligent in working to ensure that our police department is providing the best possible service to victims of sexual crimes," a spokesperson said. "It is unfortunate that anything would aim to take away from those efforts instead of targeting the perpetrators of horrific crimes."

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Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Dahl is now acting as a whistleblower in raising awareness about JCPD's alleged mishandling of the victims' cases and concerns. She has filed her own lawsuit against Johnson City and a disclosure with the Justice Department, according to Whistleblower Aid.

An independent audit, commissioned by the city, of JCPD's handling of sexual assault appeared to confirm Dahl's concerns. Findings concluded that JCPD had "material deficiencies" that "can hinder the ability to collect necessary evidence for a complete and accurate investigation," according to a city press release. The department's reports "were found to be inconsistent, ineffective, and incomplete" and its "process of closing investigations is flawed and inaccurate," among other findings, the press release continued.