A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday (June 24) sentenced Quantrell Williams to 37 years in prison for his conviction of having sexual relations with a teenaged girl and video recording it.
During just over an hour of deliberations on June 18, a jury found Williams, 32, of Westwego, guilty as charged of two counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and one count of possession of pornography involving juveniles.
While the teenager’s mother was at work one day in November 2023, Williams struck up a conversation about sex with the then-13-year-old girl in his Westwego home and repeatedly asked if she would have relations with him. That led to an encounter. Afterward, he had the teenager perform another sexual act before she would be allowed to play with friends. She again went along with his demands.
In August 2024, the teenager’s mother discovered a video of the incident on Williams’ cell phone, which she searched while he was incarcerated on an unrelated matter in Orleans Parish. She notified the Westwego Police Department, which began an investigation that led to Williams’ arrest.
Assistant District Attorney Eric Cusimano described Williams as “a pedophile predator” in closing arguments and pointed to other assaultive behaviors by the defendant. “While testifying at trial about additional prior assaults that had occurred between her and the defendant when she was under the age of 13, the victim stated that she had only disclosed these additional incidents to the district attorney’s office because it was the first time she felt like she was speaking to someone who believed her and was not telling her to deny the allegations, as Williams had attempted to persuade the victim’s mother and the victim to do in numerous phone calls,” Assistant DA Cusimano said.
In telephone conversations from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna, which are recorded, Williams admitted to the victim’s mother what he had done but made excuses for it. “Anything I ever done or did, I had permission,” he told her. “Everything was always mutual.”
Williams later urged the victim’s mother to tell police that the allegations were “all lies.” “Tell her you coerced her to say that,” he told the mother. “Tell them you told her to say that because you were mad at me.” Upon learning that the mother had already disclosed the charges, he told her, “You just gave me a death sentence.”
The victim was unaware that she was being video recorded. She confirmed that it was her in the video. Assistant District Attorney James Wascom told jurors in closing argument that Williams was identifiable in the video through a surgical scar on his stomach and his tattoos.
“Every man and woman has a right to a trial by their peers,” Assistant DA Wascom told jurors. “And Mr. Williams refused to take responsibility for his actions. He needs to be held accountable.”
Judge Frank Brindisi of the 24th Judicial District Court said during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing that Williams likely sexually abused the victim more than what is known. The judge referred to the other assaults that were disclosed by the victim, which occurred when she was under 13 years old. Those assault allegations were deemed admissible evidence that was presented to the jury during the trial.
“The only way I look at this, Mr. Williams, is that you’re a rapist,” Judge Brindisi told Williams. “You raped this little girl. I don’t know how long the rape has been going on. … I know you’ve done it more than twice. I can only imagine how many times.”
Judge Brindisi sentenced Williams to 19 years for the pornography charge and nine years for each of the two carnal knowledge charges. He ran the sentences consecutively. The judge additionally ordered Williams to pay a $60,000 fine.
Assistant District Attorneys Eric Cusimano and James Wascom prosecuted the case.