Williams' N.C. child porn trial delayed again

ASHEVILLE – Sean Williams, the accused serial rapist already convicted of child pornography in Tennessee, has had his North Carolina trial delayed for the third time in a year. The trial, which was moved a couple of months ago from November to Jan. 5, will try Williams on three counts of child pornography in the state. A new date has not been set yet. Judge Martin Reidinger of the Western District of North Carolina granted the delay Tuesday, noting that without it the counsel would not have the needed time for preparation. Not granting the delay "would result in a miscarriage of justice," the judge ruled. Williams' attorneys requested to delay the trial because they were waiting on additional information from the government and "will need time" to review it. According to a court document filed Dec. 12, the defense expected to receive the information that day or shortly after. The same document also noted that Williams' attorneys need time to balance the state case with a separate North Carolina-based federal case for possession of and intention to distribute a mixture of methamphetamine and cocaine. The U.S. does not oppose the delay of the case, but has previously opposed pushed deadlines on pretrial motions. Williams received eight extensions on that deadline this year. The final deadline was Nov. 17. Williams' lawyers have also requested to exclude certain evidence from the trial. They claim the government violated his Fifth Amendment rights by not reading his Miranda rights. The defense also argues that the government lacked probable cause to search electronic devices found in Williams' truck in April 2023, when he was arrested in North Carolina. "The executing agent exceeded the bounds of the [search] warrant by abandoning the search for drug distribution evidence and looking for evidence of child pornography," a court document states. The government's response argues that the search warrant was properly obtained and the officer "found in plain view evidence of child sexual abuse material on one of the devices" while searching for drug evidence. The officer paused the drug-related search and then obtained a separate search warrant, according to a court document. In addition to Williams' Tennessee conviction and North Carolina charges, the former Johnson City businessman is also accused of drugging and raping more than 60 women and children for years before his 2023 arrest.