Veteran impostor sentenced on child porn, stolen valor charges

A Lexington man will spend more than nine years in federal prison on stolen valor and child sexual abuse material convictions, U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling’s office announced Friday, Nov. 6.

William Steven Wooten, 46, of Lexington, has been sentenced to nine years and one month in prison. Wooten was convicted on the child sexual abuse charges by a federal jury earlier this year.

The FBI was conducting a stolen valor investigation related to Wooten’s possession and use of a fraudulent Form DD-214, a military discharge document. Wooten purported to be a combat veteran and to have earned a Purple Heart, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.

In truth, Wooten had never served in the military. Wooten used the fraudulent document in an effort to obtain employment and to convince a single mother that he was an upstanding citizen who could be trusted around her young children.

The FBI obtained a search warrant for Wooten’s phone and discovered child sexual abuse material, in addition to the fraudulent DD-214. FBI forensic examiners located 203 images depicting child sexual abuse. Search terms indicated Wooten was seeking images of young girls, including children being abused by adult men.

Just eight months before the FBI found Wooten in possession of child sexual abuse material and the fraudulent discharge document, Wooten was found guilty in state court for criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Roughly two weeks before his federal trial in February, Wooten pleaded guilty to possessing the fraudulent DD-214.

“Wooten exploited the respect our society holds for veterans for his own personal gain. Worse yet, he posed as a combat veteran to gain access to young children,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling, chief prosecutor for the District of South Carolina. “This sentence holds him accountable for a disturbing pattern of deception and exploitation. This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting children and ensuring predators face significant consequences for their crimes.”

U.S. District Judge Donald Coggins Jr. sentenced Wooten to 109 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 20-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protecting children is among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue working tirelessly to investigate and bring to justice those who exploit them,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent-in-Charge Anish Shukla. “The defendant’s possession of child sexual abuse material was deeply disturbing, as was his victimization of children. This sentence ensures he is being held accountable for his reprehensible conduct.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

Led by U.S. attorneys' offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and works to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit Justice.gov/PSC.

This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.