A candidate for Greenville City Council said his conviction in 2009 for indecent liberties with a child, which landed him on the state’s sex offender registry, was due to systemic problems with the judicial system.
William ___, 68, of Greenville was found guilty by a Pitt County jury on two counts of indecent liberties with a child on April 22, 2009. He served two consecutive sentences totaling three years and two months for the crime that court documents said took place July 1-8 of 2007.
According to the court documents, the victim was under 16. William was 54.
In a phone call Monday, William did not deny his status on the registry.
“That’s one of the reasons that I’m running,” he said. “I want to make sure that we give justice to all people and maintain a right for all citizens to have an equal participation and fairness in the court system.
“I didn’t get bitter with that, and I’m not going to go through my court case, but one thing for sure that, regardless of our political party and persuasion, we must consider the issues and the character behind the often emotional and misleading political process. How we conduct ourselves through the political season is just as important as the ballots that are cast on Election Day.”
William compared his situation to that of Dontae Sharpe, the Greenville man who in 1994 was convicted for the murder of George Radcliffe, 33, in a Greenville neighborhood at the age of 19. Sharpe was exonerated after serving 25 years in prison and in November 2021 was pardoned by Gov. Roy Cooper.
I’m humbled by this guy. I’ve got no business holding on to the 1212 days WI stole from me over a child’s meltdown. A 25 piece! NCRSOL aughta get behind him.