State Attorney’s Office Files Additional Charges Against Accused Child Molester

Daytona Beach, FL – A man already charged with capital sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation, who was mistakenly given bond at first, is now facing an additional set of charges. At 50-year-old Lawrence Williams first court appearance on Wednesday (July 21), the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) said he was mistakenly granted an $85,000 bond contrary to the law and the no bond mandate on his first arrest warrant. The SAO immediately filed a motion to correct the mistake and reinstate the no bond. The court subsequently ordered Williams back into jail on no bond until the state’s motion is heard on Monday (July 26). Then on Friday (July 23), the SAO announced that they have filed another round of capital sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation charges against Williams. According to the SAO, these new charges involve a different Child Victim, who is also less than 12 years of age. He was served his current arrest warrant while he was in custody at the jail. Williams’ initial bond quickly caught the ire of Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who was one of many individuals who fought to keep convicted sex offender Mark Fugler behind bars after he was also granted bond. Fugler’s case eventually led local legislators to create House Bill 333 (HB 333), which prohibited bail to "specified offenders pending review" following conviction of a sex crime involving a minor that required registering for an offender or predator status in the state. The bill went into effect almost exactly a year after it was filed. The investigation into Williams continues as the SAO is working closely with the Holly Hill Police Department to identify and determine if there are any other victims.