Jury Finds Virginia Man Guilty of First-Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor and First-Degree Sexual Abuse of a Student

WASHINGTON - Mark Williams, 59, of Virginia, has been found guilty by a jury of four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a secondary education student and four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Williams was the victim's high school teacher in 2014, when the abuse occurred.

The verdict was returned on February 12, 2026, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for April 17, 2026. The defendant remains held without bond pending sentencing.

According to the government's evidence, in the spring of 2014, Williams was the victim's high school teacher at Duke Ellington School for the Arts. Williams began an independent study with the victim, who was 17 years old at the time. Their independent study met in a locked, windowless room in the basement of Duke Ellington. Williams then initiated a romantic and sexual relationship with the victim, during which they participated in sexual acts while on campus.

Joining in the announcement was Jeffery W. Carroll, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, Investigative Analyst Lucas Jetson, and Victim Witness Coordinators Guisela Castillo and Katina Adams.

Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Sarah Roessler, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Platt, who assisted with investigating the case.

2023 CF1 008583