William Virgil Russell, II, a 33-year-old resident of Evansville, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Following his release, he will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing sexually explicit material involving minors.
Court documents reveal that on April 3, 2023, Instagram reported an account owned by Russell for accessing a video suspected of containing child sexual abuse material. The video depicted an adult male attempting to rape a prepubescent minor female.
Law enforcement investigators collaborated with Instagram and discovered additional child sexual abuse material linked to Russell's account. Posts soliciting underage videos were also found, including messages such as "Looking for freaks with young kids or siblings that need $$” and "Looking for under l2 to buy from hit me up.”
On September 26, 2023, authorities searched Russell’s home in Evansville and seized his cellphone. Investigations revealed 21 sexually explicit images involving minors and chat transcripts where Russell described himself as a pedophile. He expressed preferences for toddlers and requested women provide nude images of their children in exchange for payment.
Russell was already a registered sex offender due to a previous felony conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material in Warrick County, Indiana. Post-release, he must continue registering as a sex offender wherever he resides or works.
John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana stated: “Every parent should know that social media apps like Instagram are not safe spaces for young children and are often hunting grounds for predators who seek gratification from their exploitation.” He commended the FBI and Evansville Police Department investigators along with the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger in prosecuting the case.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources.
Victims of child sexual exploitation are encouraged to contact local police departments. Resources can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood