FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH) — A 61-year-old man from Marion, Indiana, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for child solicitation.
On July 10, William Wills, 61, of Marion, was sentenced after pleading guilty to child solicitation. Judge Brandi Foster Kirkendall sentenced Wills to a total of four years with one and a half of those years to be served in the Indiana Department of Correction and the remaining two and a half years on supervised probation.
Wills will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
Wills was one of 32 men arrested in a child solicitation sting that took place from April 18, 2023 to April 20, 2023. The sting was conducted by members of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin Police Department, and the Edinburgh Police Department. The operation took place at a property on the 300 block of East County Line Road in Greenwood, Indiana.
Wills was arrested after reportedly messaging a girl he thought to be 15 years old and soliciting her for sex acts. Wills traveled from Noblesville, where he indicated he was door dashing to meet up with the “girl,” only to find police officers waiting for him.
The court highlighted Wills’ criminal history, which included a conviction for voluntary manslaughter, the volume of the text messages that spanned over a week’s time, and the activity he entertained in the messages and sought to further engage in.
“This individual came several counties over to engage in sex acts with 15-year-old,” said Johnson County Prosecutor Lancer Hamner. “I hope his time in prison teaches Mr. Wills that we won’t tolerate despicable attempts to prey on children.”
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