Exclusive: Polk County Man Charged with Six Felonies Involving Children

A Polk County man was arrested Thursday after authorities obtained warrants charging him with six felony offenses, including four counts of statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult and one count of taking indecent liberties with a child, according to Polk County court records obtained by WCAB News.

William Leo King, 56, of Columbus, was arrested Aug. 13, the same day the criminal case was filed in Polk District Court. The case (26CR381203-740) remains pending.

The charges stem from alleged conduct dating to 2020 and 2022, according to the court records.

King is charged with:

• Four counts of statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult, a Class B1 felony under North Carolina law, with an alleged offense date of June 15, 2020.

• One count of indecent liberties with a child, a Class F felony, also alleged to have occurred June 15, 2020.

• One count of felony dissemination of obscenity, a Class I felony, with an alleged offense date of July 1, 2022.

The four statutory sexual offense counts allege sexual acts involving children under age 13. The charging documents specify that one alleged victim was between 11 and 12 years old and another was between 5 and 10 years old at the time of the alleged offenses.

One count alleges King engaged in a sex act with a child identified in the court document by initials and described as being between 11 and 12 years old.

Four separate counts allege sex acts involving another child identified by initials. The warrants describe that child as being between 5 and 10 years old.

Another count alleges King took or attempted to take immoral, improper, and indecent liberties with a child under 16.

Obscenity charge

The sixth charge alleges King intentionally disseminated obscenity by providing a juvenile at an Agner Lane address in Columbus with an obscene film.

The warrant describes the material as pornographic, depicting a sex act.

North Carolina law generally makes intentional dissemination of obscenity by an adult a felony. The statute defines dissemination broadly to include providing, delivering, publishing, exhibiting or otherwise making obscene material available. 

Because the alleged recipient was a juvenile, the circumstances described in the warrant are particularly significant to the criminal allegation. The statute provides enhanced classification for certain violations committed knowingly in the presence of a person under age 18. 

King appeared in Polk District Court on Aug. 14 for a first appearance.

A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2, according to the court calendar.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office has not issued any statement about the case. A booking photo of King was unavailable.

King is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.