A former Army recruiter will be sentenced October 4 for statutory rape and statutory sodomy of a 15-year-old girl in a case the prosecutor called “every parent’s nightmare.”

The Platte County Circuit Court jury returned guilty verdicts August 7 against Chervaldric Williams, 38, of Kansas City.

Evidence showed the pair met at a movie theater in october of 2009, and the following night.

 

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd says Williams picked the girl up after her parents had gone to sleep so she could sneak out more easily. The parents noticed she was gond, and began frantically calling her friends. Finally they used cell phone billing records to call the numbers that appeared just before she was discovered missing.

One of those numbers belonged to Williams, who initially denied knowing her. He then called them back, pointing out that he was a “stand-up guy” and would never do anything to hurt their daughter.

“This is every parent’s nightmare,” Zahnd said.

“Their child disappeared in the dark of night, and they find out that she was victimized by someone who enjoyed a position of trust and responsibility in both the United States Army and in the North Kansas City School District.”

DNA evidence was critical in this case and conclusively identified the defendant. A DNA specialist with the Kansas City Police Department crime lab testified that DNA found on the victim’s shirt was a one in 18 quintillion match to Williams.

At trial, Williams denied any sexual contact with the victim, claiming that she attempted to sexually molest him, but that he was able to fend off her advances before fleeing. He was unable to explain how his DNA wound up on the victim’s shirt.

Zahnd credited hard work by a detective with the Kansas City Police Department’s Crimes Against Children section and the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory. “Their dedication and professionalism led to the collection of critical DNA evidence allowing us to convict this rapist,” he said.

Zahnd also noted that both the North Kansas City School District and the United States Army reacted appropriately to the initial allegations against Williams. He was immediately suspended from his recruiting duties and the Army initiated its own proceedings against him.

Williams faces up to 14 years in prison when he’s sentenced on October 4, 2013.