Adams
A Greenwood man will serve 24 years in prison for molesting four children.
William J. Adams, 50, pled guilty and was sentenced on April 18 on four counts of child molesting, a Level 4 felony. Each count is for fondling or touching a child under 14 relating to incidents that happened between January 2020 and September 2022.
Adams received a total sentence of 32 years — 24 to be served in prison followed by eight years suspended to active probation. He must also register as a sex offender and undergo a sex offender evaluation, according to a Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office news release.
One child came forward to their parents in September 2022 about the incidents and others followed. The children allege they were touched both over and under their clothes, according to the probable cause affidavit filed with Johnson County Circuit Court on June 12, 2023.
The children told investigators they were asked to keep the touching a secret and they were offered gifts for their silence. They said Adams would touch them every time they stayed at his house, court documents say.
Two other adults live at the home, but they were never around when incidents occurred, they told investigators.
When the children’s parents confronted Adams about the incidents, he allegedly said the children were telling the truth, one of the parents told investigators. Adams agreed to speak with police, but did not give a statement about the incident, court documents say.
Facebook messages between Adams and a family member that are detailed in the affidavit shows he also confessed to them.
the family member said, “Tell me it’s not true.”
Adams responded, “I wish I could … Satan grabbed me when I was weak … it’s something I have struggled with for years.”
Another family member asked about the allegations and was reportedly told by Adams “the devil got me good this time,” the affidavit says.
Prosecutors say the families of the victims were pleased that their children did not have to testify in a trial. All of the victims and their parents appeared at the sentencing, and two of them “bravely read” victim impact statements they had written.
Adams had no prior convictions. He fully cooperated with the investigation, according to the news release.
“There is no more despicable breach of trust than that of a family member. For that, Adams will spend the last days of his life in prison,” Deputy Prosecutor Carrie Miles said in the news release.
Prosecutor Lance Hamner was pleased with the sentence, he said in the news release.
“A person who molests children must be locked up — for a long, long time. This is how we keep our little ones safe from predators,” Hamner said.
Non-emergency help dealing with sexual assault resources is available at Franklin-based ASSIST Indiana at 317-739-4456. For a list of Indiana resources, visit icesaht.org/get-help/. For emergency help dealing with sexual assault call or text 911 to report the crime.
