Former Rainier Jr/Sr High School Principal Jeremy Peter Williams had 31 files of child porn and admitted to "age-based" sexual role playing online, according to the latest court records.
Authorities say evidence does not indicate Rainier School District students were involved in the alleged crimes.
Williams was principal of the Rainier School District located in Oregon and not the Washington state district of the same name.
Still, district parents are concerned.
Kami Whitmire said she has three children in the Rainier School District, including one who attends the high school Williams led.
Whitmire said she kept her son home Thursday because she didn’t feel comfortable sending him to a school where trust had been broken.
“This principal was involved daily, so hearing these charges is beyond sickening,” she said.
Whitemire said Williams had been principal since the 2022-2023 school year.
Trained crisis response professionals were on campus Thursday to help students and staff, according to the school district.
After Williams' Tuesday arrest, arresting documents say he told police he engaged in “age-based” sexual role play online, and received and sent images and videos containing child sex abuse material during these conversations.
Authorities became aware of Williams, 49, last month when they received a notification from a national network of law enforcement agencies dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation online.
In total, four of the tips originated from the popular instant messaging and VoIP platform Discord, while two were from another instant messaging app Kik/Medialab, according to arresting documents.
Each report showed a user had uploaded child sexual abuse material, and those tips linked to Williams' email address and IP address, according to police.
Williams' bail was set at $100,000 during Wednesday's Cowlitz County Superior Court hearing. He made bail later that day.
During the hearing, Williams said he was no longer employed.
Jail records show Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office deputies booked Williams, who lives in Longview, on suspicion of dealing in depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Williams’ next hearing is set for Wednesday.
