Madison County man sentenced for child exploitation

RIDGELAND, Miss. (WLBT) - A Madison man has been sentenced on a child exploitation charge.

On March 7, 2024, the Ridgeland Police Department conducted an undercover operation targeting individuals seeking to exploit minors.

Detectives, posing as an underage male on a same-sex dating site, engaged in online communication with 60-year-old Mark Wayne Williams.

Williams arranged to meet the minor at a local business in Ridgeland, where the suspect was later arrested on March 9, 2024.

He was subsequently charged with exploitation of a child.

On September 16, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to serve 15 years without bond in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with the last 10 years suspended.

Williams will also have five years of supervised probation upon his release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

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