Former Vinita preacher indicted for sexually abusing five minors

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma)

A former Vinita preacher was indicted this week for sexually abusing five minors whose ages ranged from 7 to 16 years old when the abuse occurred, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Roy Edward Williams, 63, was charged with Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 1,3,5,6, and 8); Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 2,4,9); Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor Between 12 and 16 Years Old in Indian Country (Count 7); and Possession of Child Pornography (Count 11).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI encourage any other victims of Williams to come forward and contact the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office at (405) 290-7770.

Williams is alleged to have committed the sex crimes starting on or around November 2002 and as late as December 2018. According to the indictment, Williams also took sexually explicit photographs of several of the victims, paid or offered something of value to several victims immediately following the sexual abuse, and threatened several victims to prevent them from reporting the abuse to others. The defendant was further found in possession of child pornography on June 24, 2019. During the period of the described abuse, Williams was a preacher at Bunker Hill Baptist in Vinita.

Williams was previously charged in Craig County District Court. However, charges were dismissed in April 2021 as Williams is a Cherokee citizen and the alleged crimes occurred in or near Vinita, which is within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The Cherokee Nation Attorney General’s Office then filed tribal charges against Williams in April, and he is currently in tribal custody awaiting trial. This week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office also filed charges in the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The FBI, Craig County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Paisner and Edward Snow are prosecuting the case.