Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Alfred Harris (62, Cape Canaveral) has pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Harris faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in January 2023, the FBI identified Harris as a target based on being a recipient or downloader of CSAM on a file-sharing platform. In May 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence and seized Harris’s laptop. A forensic examination of the computer revealed CSAM, three file wipers, and encryption software.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Updated May 28, 2024