Man found guilty of sex with prostitute, 13

5/17/2007

BOWLING GREEN - A Northwood man was found guilty yesterday of paying a 13-year-old prostitute for sex and, at least once, providing her with drugs.

Seybert J. Williams, Jr., 47, faces two to eight years in prison on each of six counts of compelling prostitution and a single count of corrupting another with drugs when he is sentenced Aug. 7 by Wood County Common Pleas Court Judge Alan Mayberry.

The girl, now 15, took the stand earlier this week. In emotional testimony, she said she sold sex to support a drug habit, and that Williams also provided her with clothes, jewelry, and drugs.

Williams' defense attorney warned jurors that they should not to jump to conclusions, calling Williams the girl's "only real friend."

The jury began deliberating before lunch yesterday, the third day of the trial, and delivered its verdict about two hours later.

The girl, who The Blade is not identifying because she is considered a victim of a sex crime, also had been connected to a federal conspiracy case involving 16 men and women accused in Harrisburg, Pa., of operating a nationwide prostitution ring that recruited girls from Toledo.

In that case, another one of the accused pimps scheduled to go to trial next month has pleaded guilty.

Toledoan Deric "Coleone" Price, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and transporting minors. Five of the original 16 defendants remain; the others have pleaded to various charges.

Although Price faced up to 35 years in prison if he'd been found guilty by a jury of the charges, a plea agreement calls for a sentencing recommendation by the prosecutor of up to 22 years.

The plea in that case is not connected to the Wood County trial.