Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced William Brinson Ball (40, Dubai) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor for sex and transporting child pornography. The Court also ordered Ball to forfeit an iPhone and $5,000, which were used in the commission of the offenses.

Ball had pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018.

According to court documents, between January and February 14, 2018, Ball communicated with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent posing as the father of a seven-year-old girl. During those communications, Ball sent child-pornographic videos, described the sexual encounter that he wanted to have with the “child,” and arranged to travel from Dubai to Tampa for the purpose of sexually abusing the seven-year-old “child.” After negotiating a price, Ball paid the undercover agent $5,000 to have a sexual encounter with the “child.”

Ball arrived in Orlando on Valentine’s Day, rented a car, and drove to the meeting location in Tampa. Upon his arrest, agents seized from Ball’s belongings, a stuffed animal that Ball had purchased for the child, various lubricants, sexual devices, and condoms. A forensic analysis of Ball’s cellular phone revealed that Ball possessed over 500 child-pornographic images and videos, the majority of which depicted violent, sadistic, or masochistic conduct.

Although Ball is an American citizen, he resided in Dubai, Qatar, and Japan, where he worked as a middle school music teacher.

“This child predator, who was also a teacher overseas, traveled to our community intending to have sex with a seven-year-old,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Instead, our HSI special agents stopped him in his tracks, and now he will be held accountable.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.