Tacoma prosecutors charged a 25-year-old babysitter with first-degree rape of a child after investigators determined he allegedly filmed himself sexually assaulting an infant girl while the child's parents worked, according to court records.
Background
William Kelso Flournoy IV was arrested by the FBI's Missing and Exploited Children Task Force on March 5, one day after Tacoma police were alerted to illicit images by Google and opened a rape investigation. The alleged assault occurred between April and November 2023 while Flournoy was babysitting the infant, who was 6 or 7 months old during the reported abuse period.
The infant's parent had asked Flournoy to watch her daughter while she and her partner moved into a motel with the suspect. Authorities believe Flournoy filmed himself raping the child during those babysitting sessions, according to KING. An image allegedly showed Flournoy on his knees in front of the victim, and the pictures also depicted sex acts.
The Tacoma News Tribune reported that Flournoy worked for a residential facility for transient children in Tacoma. Investigators concluded that moles on Flournoy's hands were consistent with those seen in the explicit images recovered during the investigation.
The Charges
On Monday, Flournoy was charged under his birth name with first-degree rape of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor. His bail was set at $1 million.
In addition to the rape charges, Flournoy was accused in July of dealing in depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possessing such material. Those charges stemmed from more than 46 images Google linked to his account, in addition to files recovered on Snapchat. Flournoy was due in court on March 6 for arraignment on those charges but failed to appear.
Police said they are investigating whether there are additional victims in this case.
Key Takeaways
- Flournoy was arrested by FBI's Missing and Exploited Children Task Force on March 5
- Alleged assault occurred between April and November 2023 while babysitting infant girl
- Investigators matched moles on Flournoy's hands to those visible in explicit images
- Flournoy also faces charges from July for possessing/exchanging explicit images of minors
- Bail set at $1 million; suspect failed to appear for scheduled arraignment
- Police investigating whether additional victims exist
What's Next
Flournoy will face charges of first-degree rape of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor. Police continue to investigate whether there are additional victims in this case. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the full scope of the alleged abuse.