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A former high school principal from Oregon, who was previously removed from his position due to contentious comments regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has now been sentenced to prison in a case involving child pornography.
Jeremy P. Williams, aged 50, and a resident of Longview, Washington, received a sentence of 61 months in prison on February 23. This followed his guilty plea to three counts of first-degree possession of child pornography.
In addition to serving time, Williams will be required to register as a sex offender and will be under supervision for three years following his release, according to prosecutors.
Williams had been serving as the principal of Rainier Junior/Senior High School since 2022. The Rainier School District, as reported by state data, educates fewer than 800 students.
A file photo shows Jeremy P. Williams on the school campus, gesturing towards the camera. (Image courtesy of Rainier Jr./Sr. High School Facebook)
His legal troubles came to light after social media platforms flagged accounts tied to him for sharing files that matched known child sexual abuse material — a digital fingerprinting process known as hash matching. That alert kicked off an investigation, and detectives later searched his home, seizing phones, computers and other devices.
Before his arrest, school officials were already responding to concerns about Williams’ conduct.
In a message to families, Superintendent Chad Holloway said the district was aware of “concerns… following a recent comment by an employee… regarding Charlie Kirk,” calling the activist’s killing “deeply unsettling” and acknowledging the impact on students and staff.
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is assassinated during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Sept.10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
Following those concerns, Williams was placed on paid administrative leave.
Days later, Holloway sent another letter to the community describing “very disturbing” developments after learning of Williams’ arrest on charges involving depictions of minors in sexually explicit conduct.
Former school principal Jeremy P. Williams is seen inside a school building in this undated file photo. (Rainier Jr./Sr. High School Facebook)
He emphasized that the district was working closely with law enforcement and taking steps to support students, including making counselors available and allowing early dismissal for families who felt it was needed.
“The safety of our students is our highest priority,” Holloway wrote.
Jeremy P. Williams appears at the school in this file photo from his tenure as principal. (Rainier Jr./Sr. High School Facebook)
He stressed that investigators did not believe any students in the district were involved and said the district was fully cooperating with law enforcement.
Authorities have echoed that point, saying there’s no indication Williams possessed images of students from the school.
Williams was arrested in September 2025 and booked into the Cowlitz County Jail.
Former principal Jeremy P. Williams appears via Webex during a court hearing related to the child sex image case. (KPTV)
The case itself unfolded largely behind the scenes until sentencing, where Williams reportedly offered only a barely audible apology, according to the Daily Chronicle in Longview. The outlet also reported that he had previously boasted about winning awards for his erotic fiction.
Judge Thad Scudder handed down the sentence, which also includes $3,000 in court fees.
The case has sparked reaction online, including from former NCAA swimmer and women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines, who wrote on X: “It’s always either 1) a teacher 2) a health care worker 3) a government employee. Deeply concerning.”
Actor Kevin Sorbo also weighed in, writing, “I don’t think Charlie was the bad person in this story.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the school district for comment but did not immediately receive a response.Â
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.