Sex Offender Accepts Life in Prison

HOUSTON - A young father, accused of sexually assaulting his 5-year-old relative, agrees to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Prosecutors referred to Rodney Williams as "the worst of the worst." Williams was to stand trial on Tuesday, charged with more crimes than anyone in the history of Harris County, but during jury selection on Monday, defense attorney Bob Scott told prosecutors that his client would plead guilty to all 74 criminal charges against him.

Assistant District Attorney Eric Devlin said that Williams' decision caught him off guard because (Devlin) refused to drop any of the charges and declined to offer Williams a deal.

"He just didn't want to face a Harris County jury for these kind of charges," said Devlin, who was prepared to show jurors what (Devlin) described as graphic pictures of Williams performing a sex act on a young child.

The pictures were found on a secure digital card in a northeast Houston home last year. Devlin says Williams's common law wife found the card, saw what was on it, and contacted police.

Williams will now serve three life sentences for super aggravated assault of a child under the age of six, plus 700 years for possessing child pornography and another 20 years for producing it.

In short, Williams will never be free again. Tammy Urban, community outreach coordinator for the Children's Assessment Center, says the punishment sends a clear message.

"We will not tolerate sex offenders in our community, harming our children," said Urban.

April is Child Abuse Prevention month, and in Harris County, the problem is severe.

"These cases are everyday," said Devlin. "We receive 10 to 15 a day."

Urban says her agency has served more than 5,000 sexually abused children in 2009.

"One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the time they're 18 years old," said Urban.

For Williams, pleading guilty means no trial.

A jury will not see the graphic pictures Williams allegedly recorded of himself in the act, but for the little girl whose image is also on that SD card, the ordeal is far from over.

"When you violate a child, you don't violate them for that minute. You violate them for the rest of their lives," said Devlin.

"She will carry this burden for the rest of her life."