A Platte County man who authorities say abused his position of power as an Army recruiter was found guilty of rape by a jury last week.
Chervaldric Williams, 38, of Kansas City, Platte County, faces up to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of statutory rape and sodomy of a then-15-year-old girl.
“This is every parent’s nightmare,” Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said. “Their child disappeared in the dark of night, and they find out that she was victimized by someone who enjoyed a position of trust and responsibility in both the United States Army and in the NorthKansas CitySchool District.”
During the three-day trial, the girl testified that she met Williams at a movie theater Oct. 17, 2009. Likewise, Williams admitted to the jury that he knew that she was only 15, and he informed her that he was 34. The two exchanged phone numbers and remained in contact throughout the next day. That evening, Williams picked her up after her parents were asleep so she could sneak out of her home easier. Williams drove her back to his apartment where he engaged in sexual activity with her.
He later dropped the girl off at a friend’s home.
According to court documents, the victim’s parents noticed that she was gone and began frantically calling her friends in an effort to find her. Finally, using cell phone billing records, they began calling numbers that appeared just before she was discovered missing.