Former assistant principal at Rock Hill school sentenced for student sex charges

A former assistant principal at a South Carolina high school in Rock Hill was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to sex charges with a student.

Kenneth Andrew Williams, 37, pleaded guilty May 31 in York County criminal court to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, sexual battery with a student, and disseminating obscene material.

The sentencing Monday came six years after Williams was arrested on the charges in 2016 while he was an assistant principal at Northwestern High School in the Rock Hill school district. Williams was a gym teacher at Rock Hill High before he became an assistant principal, testimony showed.

South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Dan Hall sentenced Williams after a hearing Monday in criminal court. The combined charges carried from no prison time to a maximum of 30 years in a S.C. Department of Corrections prison, state law shows.

Williams also must register as a sex offender for the next 15 years, testimony showed.

Hall said Williams was in a position of authority over the victim while Williams was an assistant principal and teacher. The sentence had to reflect the seriousness of the charge and the conviction, Hall said. Williams was an administrator at a school where parents send their children, Hall said.

Hall said the public has safety expectations for children sent to school.

“He (Williams) had authority over her (the victim) at the time,” Hall said.

Sex acts when Williams was assistant principal

The victim, who was 15 and 16 years old at the time of the offenses, was a student at Rock Hill High and then at Northwestern, 16th Circuit Senior Solicitor Erin Joyner said in court.

Williams knew the victim’s family, Joyner said. Williams deserved a substantial prison sentence, Joyner said.

“This case is a breach of trust, a betrayal of trust on so many levels,” Joyner said. “People send their children to school expecting them to be safe.”

Joyner said the acts were not a one-time incident and involved Williams sending naked photos of himself to the victim through Snapchat social media.

Victim speaks in court

The victim said in court Monday that Williams told her he wanted to be a father figure to her.

“He used his powers to manipulate the situation,” the victim said.

The victim said when she made the allegations public, she was ostracized.

“I am standing here almost seven years later hoping someone will hear my story,” the victim said.

The Herald does not name victims of sex crimes or underage victims of crime.

The victim’s mother said in court Williams had been invited into the family home.

“This is every parent’s nightmare,” the victim’s mother said.

Williams apologizes in court

Williams apologized to the victim and her family for his actions, and asked for a second chance to live a productive life.

“I am ashamed,” Williams said.

Williams cried in court when he talked about the impact of his arrest and conviction on his family and career.

Williams was placed on leave from school in 2016 when the accusations were being investigated. His South Carolina teaching credentials were suspended in 2016, and he surrendered his ability to teach or work in school administration, according to the S.C. Department of Education.

Defense asks for probation

Williams was represented by three lawyers: S.C. Rep Todd Rutherford of Columbia, and Gary Lemel and Twana Burris-Alcide of Rock Hill.

The defense lawyers asked for probation for Williams. Williams has no other criminal record, and for six years after arrest did not have any problems with the law, Rutherford said in court.

“There is no reason for Mr. Williams to be incarcerated,” Rutherford said.

Burris-Alcide said Williams was a teacher who went to Winthrop University in Rock Hill.

“He was a really good leader, a team builder, and an encourager,” Burris-Alcide said.

The victim started weeping in court when Burris-Alcide brought up the allegations and the defense’s point of view about the case. The victim left courtroom.

Other people who knew Williams said he was a good person who was involved in community service.

A defense expert, Dr. Geoffrey McKee, said in court Williams risk of sexual recidivism is low.

Several other charges against Williams were dismissed as part of the plea negotiations, lawyers in the case said in court.