Child Exploitation Arrest
November 10, 2025 – Placer County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Tuesday, November 4, with 
the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, the St. Charles County Police Department in Missouri, and the St. Charles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a suspect targeting a Placer County child was arrested.
The investigation began in April 2025, Placer County Special Operations Detectives identified Steven Ohrie Williams III, of Missouri, as the suspect. Detectives determined that Williams had been communicating with a child in Placer County for the purpose of obtaining illicit material.
Williams currently awaits extradition to Placer County, where he faces multiple felony charges, including PC 288(c)(1), PC 311.11(a), PC 288.2(a)(2), and PC 288.3(a).
The investigation is ongoing and there may be additional victims. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact us at (530) 886-5375.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is committed to safeguarding our children and will stop at nothing to identify, locate, and apprehend, individuals involved in crimes against the children within our county and present cases to our partners at the Placer County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Apps Predators Commonly Use to Target Children
Kik: Allows anonymous messaging and has been repeatedly linked to grooming and explicit content involving minors. Weak moderation and anonymity make it easy for predators to contact children.
Omegle: Randomly pairs users for video or text chats with strangers. It’s been widely reported as a platform where predators approach minors under the cover of anonymity.
Snapchat: Popular with teens, but its “disappearing” messages and Snap Map location-sharing features can expose children to risk. Nearby profiles and Bitmoji avatars can reveal clues that predators exploit to target users.
Roblox: A gaming and social platform with many users under 13. In-game chat functions and user-created content can expose children to grooming or inappropriate interactions.
Discord: Originally designed for gamers, but now includes thousands of private servers, some unmoderated or adult-oriented, where children can be exposed to explicit content or strangers.
Other Risky Apps
Yubo: A “make friends” app that connects users with minimal identity verification.
Holla: and similar random video chat apps that pair users with strangers.
Hidden “Vault” apps: Disguised as calculators or utilities (e.g., “Calculator%”) but used to secretly store photos or videos.
How Parents Can Help Protect Their Kids
- Have open conversations about what apps they use, who they talk to, and how they share content. Make it safe for them to ask questions.
- Check device settings: Disable location sharing and “add by proximity” features. Set messaging options to “friends only.”
- Use parental controls: Restrict app downloads without approval and review installed apps regularly.
- Teach digital boundaries: Remind them that nothing online truly disappears — screenshots and shares can happen instantly.
- Monitor time and usage: Keep devices in shared spaces and set reasonable time limits.
- Encourage reporting: Make sure your child knows to tell you or another trusted adult if someone asks for explicit photos, pressures them to meet, or makes them uncomfortable.
We’re serious about protecting children in Placer County. There are additional educational resources on the Placer County District Attorney's Office AppSafe page: placer.ca.gov/AppSafe.
Source: Placer County Sheriff's Office
