Man used sham modeling agency to take sexually explicit photos of children, feds say

Pretending to own a modeling agency with offices in places like New York City and Milan, Italy, a Missouri man lured children so he could take sexually explicit photos of them, authorities said.

Sometimes, the man would also sexually assault the children, according to federal authorities.

Joseph Willard, 59, was recently convicted of 12 counts of child exploitation offenses connected to when he pretended to own the international child modeling agency, according to a Dec. 7 news release from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The charges are connected to the abuse of seven children who ranged in ages from 8 to 17.

“Joseph Willard chose to flout the law and pursue his own gratification by concocting this elaborate hoax to lure vulnerable victims,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said in the release. “His actions are some of the most heinous offenses prosecuted by this Office, and I thank the dedicated investigators and prosecutors who worked on this case for years. As a result of this conviction, he will remain safely behind bars where he can no longer hurt any more children.”

Willard’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a response for comment from McClatchy News on Dec. 8.

The Cole Camp man was federally charged with one count of “possession of child pornography” and 11 counts of “production and attempted production of child pornography,” records show.

During the trial, authorities said children and their parents testified that Willard “represented that he could secure paid modeling contracts for the children and teenagers.”

“He traveled from state to state in a conversion van and used this ruse to get the minors alone and would then take sexually explicit images of them, sometimes sexually assaulting them as well,” officials said.

Investigators found evidence of Willard taking these photos in Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, according to the news release.

The alleged offenses occurred from about October 2014 through February 2018, according to court records.

“Joseph Willard devised a twisted scam to lure children into his clutches, specifically to abuse and exploit them,” Jacqueline Maguire, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, said in the release. “With his hideous crimes, this predator has forfeited his right to walk among us. It will be gratifying day when his sentence is handed down and that cell door clangs shut behind him.”

Cole Camp is about 100 miles southeast of Kansas City.

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