The case against a Rapid City man accused of numerous child sex crimes has been moved from Pennington County to federal jurisdiction because of the federal system's higher minimum penalties.
Chance Williams, 27, pleaded not guilty in federal court last week to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. His charging document states that between 2012 and 2017, Williams persuaded a minor “to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct” on his cellphone. The number of alleged victims is not clear. Each of his charges carries a sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison.
His original 22 county charges, including first-degree rape and child sexual contact, have been dismissed following the case transfer. Williams, detained at the county jail, is scheduled for trial Sept. 12.
