Cole Camp Man Facing Child-Sex Charges

A 59 year old Cole Camp man has been convicted on child-sex charges for crimes involving seven minors – aged 8 to 17.

U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero says in a statement to KRMS News that Joseph Willard was found guilty of 11 counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

Victims and their parents testified that Willard pretended to own an international modeling agency claiming to have offices in major cities such as Milan, Italy and New York City.

Romero says he traveled from state to state in a conversion van and used the scam to get the minors alone and take sexually explicit images of them, sometimes sexually assaulting them as well.

The statement says he committed the crimes in Florida, Tennessee and Pennsylvania as well as in Missouri.

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.