Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced William Matthew Napolitano (35, New Port Richey) to life in federal prison for enticing and coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity, and for possessing child pornography. Napolitano had pleaded guilty on August 29, 2018.

According to court documents, from 2014, through most of 2017, Napolitano—at the time employed by Pasco County Schools as a Transportation Manager—lured a 15-year-old student into a predatory sexual relationship that lasted several years. In addition, Napolitano invited the student to view his collection of child pornography, invited him to watch live productions of child pornography on the internet, and invited him to engage in group sex with other adults and other minors. Napolitano also produced and distributed depictions of the sexual abuse of the student.

A review of Napolitano’s electronic devices revealed his interest in enticing and having sex with children and detailed his pattern of arranging such sexual encounters. Napolitano’s devices also contained thousands of message threads wherein he discussed raping babies and young children, intentionally contracting and spreading the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and incest. He also actively participated in and encouraged others to sexually abuse children for his own viewing pleasure. Napolitano had amassed a large collection of child sex-abuse videos and other sexually explicit material, including infant and toddler pornography, pornography involving young children, and pornography involving feces, bestiality, and sadistic and masochistic conduct.

At the time of his arrest, Napolitano was a Manager of Transportation Services for Pasco County Schools. Before ascending to that position, he was a Transportation Route Specialist (2006–2010) and a school bus driver (2004–2006). From 2001 through most of 2004, Napolitano worked at the YMCA in New Port Richey, Florida, as a childcare worker, child supervisor, and senior program director.

“The atrocities committed by this child predator who was in a trusted position at a school district cannot be undone,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “But our greatest hope is that with this life sentence, we can bring some closure to the victims as they continue in the recovery process.”

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

This 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.