A Luzerne County man is facing charges related to the sexual assault of a child following an exchange of thousands of Facebook messages. Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that William James Christian Jr., a board member of the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum, has been charged with multiple offenses including unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, and disseminating explicit sexual material to a minor.
Christian, who resides in Dupont, was arrested and arraigned on Tuesday. His bail was set at $125,000. Under the terms of his bail, he is prohibited from accessing the internet, having unsupervised contact with minors, and participating in activities with the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum club.
Attorney General Sunday highlighted the alleged manipulation involved, stating, "This defendant used a common interest — enthusiasm for trains — to groom and prey on a young person." He further detailed the charges of soliciting sexual messages and assaulting the victim over several months. The collaboration between his office, law enforcement, and the community played a crucial role in stopping this behavior, he added.
The charges stem from Christian's communication with a 15-year-old over Facebook Messenger between 2023 and 2024. The conversations, initially based on a mutual interest in model trains, allegedly progressed to include sexual comments and images. Physical assaults reportedly took place during transportation to and from model train events.
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce praised the collective effort of law enforcement agencies, saying, “This investigation again underscores the important and dynamic collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in our vigilant pursuit in prosecuting those who prey on our most vulnerable and in holding them accountable in securing justice.” He also thanked Attorney General Sunday for his office's involvement in making the arrest and safeguarding the community.
Christian’s preliminary hearing is set for May 13. Chief Deputy Attorney General Angela Sperrazza and Deputy Attorney General Mary Phillips from the Child Predator Section are handling the prosecution. It is crucial to remember that criminal charges are merely allegations at this stage, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.