N.C. man who wanted to have unprotected sex with 9-year-old caught in FBI sting

A North Carolina man pled guilty Tuesday to federal pornography charges for sending a nude photograph of himself to a person he believed to be a 9-year-old Virginia girl.

William “Willy” Alexander Korthals, 30, of Beaufort, N.C. waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty to a one count of attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor.

At sentencing, Korthals faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the online sting which started in a Kik chat room for active parents in a group titled loving family.

According to court records, Korthals responded to a thread that read “anyone want to come to Virginia to have sex with my daughter?”

Korthals allegedly reached out to the individual who posted the thread, an undercover FBI employee, asking the age of his daughter. Korthals wanted photos of the 9-year-old. In an effort to coax the girl to send him pictures, Korthals sent a photo of his own erect penis.

For more than a year, Korthals chatted with the undercover FBI employee and requested “live” photographs of the 9-year-old as well as other sexually explicit photographs and videos and also attempted to Facetime with the undercover agent posing as the father.

Additionally, Korthals described specific acts of sexual abuse including oral, vaginal and anal sex.

In preparation for an in-person meeting with the undercover father and his daughter in August 2022, Korthals sent his laboratory test results of his sexually-transmitted disease status to the undercover agent posing as the girl’s father so that Korthals could have unprotected sex with the 9-year-old girl.

Two days before the planned meeting, Korthals cancelled it.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

“One of the cornerstones of the Department of Justice’s mission is protecting the most vulnerable among us: our children.” Said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. “This case should serve as a warning to all predators lurking online seeking to exploit children: You are not invisible, and agents from the FBI and other federal agencies are actively hunting you in every corner of the internet in order to bring you to justice.”