Former Strongsville, OH, priest used confession to exploit teens

A Catholic priest used the confessional to gain details from boys, information that he later used to extort them into providing him with sexually explicit photographs, federal prosecutors say. In a 26-page sentencing brief, prosecutors recommended that the Rev. Robert McWilliams, 41, be sentenced to life in prison for the exploitation of children. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi has scheduled the hearing for Tuesday.

McWilliams pleaded guilty in July to eight charges: two counts of sex trafficking of youths under 18; three counts of sexual exploitation of children; and three counts involving child pornography. McWilliams gathered a large collection of videos of children engaged in various types of sexual activity, forced teenage boys to provide him with sexually explicit images and paid two other youths in exchange for sexual acts. McWilliams “violated the sacrament of confession to obtain information he later used, under aliases, to seek the production of sexually explicit material from boys he was ‘counseling.’”

Authorities began an investigation in October 2019, when two families from St. Helen’s filed a report detailing how their sons were extorted online for sexually explicit images of themselves. The sentencing brief said McWilliams played an active role in their sons’ lives by taking them to lunch, spending time with them and bringing them gifts. In December, authorities searched McWilliams’ living quarters at St. Joseph Catholic Church and seized various electronic devices. Officers found more than 1,000 videos of child pornography.

The Cleveland diocese said:

“With the sentencing of Rev. Robert McWilliams scheduled to occur next week, the diocese would like to once again offer prayers for those affected by the actions of McWilliams and to express gratitude to those in law enforcement and the judicial system who have worked to ensure that justice is served and that McWilliams’ wrongdoing is justly punished,”