Man arrested for kidnapping/human trafficking of young teen

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

John Clifford Williams, Jr., 51, was arrested this morning and charged with two counts of sexual assault on a person between the ages of 12 and 18 and one count of kidnapping/human trafficking on a child under 18.

According to Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO), the victim in this case was reported to ASO as a runaway. Once she was located, the victim disclosed in interviews that she had been forced to perform sexual acts against her will for money and required to give that money up. ASO notes that this is a complex investigation and still ongoing at this time.

Williams has six felony convictions, with the most recent for drug possession in 2019. He has also served time in federal prison. At the time of the offense, which is listed as December, 2020, he was on community control from the 2019 plea deal. He is being held on $1,500,000 bail.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.