Folsom man sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - William James Fitzgerald, 26, of Folsom, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 15 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between Oct. 15, 2020, and May 4, 2022, Fitzgerald used a minor child he met on Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her for the purpose of creating photographs and video recordings. Fitzgerald coerced and persuaded the minor child into creating multiple sexually explicit depictions at least four times by offering and later sending Amazon gift cards ranging in value from $20 to $30.

Additionally, between Feb. 9, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2021, Fitzgerald used a minor child he met on Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her for the purpose of creating photographs and video recordings.

Finally, Fitzgerald knowingly possessed more than 1,000 files depicting the sexual abuse of children on his phone and iPad. The files included images of children engaged in sexual activity with adults and other children and adults sexually abusing toddlers. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2025.

"Fitzgerald preyed on vulnerable children causing lasting harm," said U.S. Attorney Grant. "He coerced them to produce child sexual abuse material while amassing material depicting other victims. Protecting children from online exploitation remains one of our highest priorities, and those who commit these crimes will be aggressively prosecuted."

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko Coppola prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.