Man guilty of 54 child rape offenses and trying to abduct child in mall has parole denied
After a Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to 54 counts of rape of a child, attempted kidnapping and illegally transporting a minor over state lines in 1988, he's been eligible for parole for more than 25 years.
However, the Massachusetts Parole Board said he shows no empathy — and, once again, denied him freedom.
For years, Richard McWilliams sexually abused girls he knew. Officials said they were sometimes as young as 4. He would also take photos of him engaging in these acts.
The photos, officials said, were found by a car mechanic when they were repairing his car.
They turned the photos over to police and McWilliams "fully admitted to his conduct," the parole board wrote.
On May 8, 1989, in Suffolk Superior Court, Richard McWilliams pleaded guilty to 54 counts of rape of a child under 16 years of age and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Similar charges were also in Essex and Plymouth Counties, as well as Maine. The charges in Plymouth County include attempting to abduct a child in a shopping mall.
He completed his sentence on July 16, 1997 and was allowed to go in front of the parole board in 2003. However, he postponed his hearings multiple times.
He first went in front of the parole board in 2019.
During the 2019 hearing , he spoke about a troubled childhood, stating he had a "dysfunctional family."
He told the board that his mother was an "alcoholic," who brought numerous men into the house, and that he was exposed to "all kinds" of pornography at a young age.
Later, he joined the Navy and went to Vietnam, where he saw children "asking for sex."
This, he told the parole board, "led him to believe that children were fully aware of, and understood, sexual intercourse."
"Mr. McWilliams stated that '[he] did not know it was sex trafficking at the time,'" the parole board wrote.
After he marriage "fell apart," he said he couldn't trust anyone except for the children. And that he took out his frustrations and anger on the children involved.
He has been unable to complete Sex Offender Treatment Program.
He told the parole board in 2019 that he not pass the last "test" before the review panel.
"He knew how he 'was supposed to' answer the questions, but claimed that 'he just didn't say them right,'" the parole board wrote.
During the test, McWilliams was asked who was responsible for the crimes. He blamed both him and the children.
In 2020, the parole board unanimously voted to deny him parole.
About five years later, he has still not completed the Sex Offender Treatment Program. He has also not engaged in rehabilitative programming and has not pursued educational or vocational opportunities in the last 10 years.
He is considered a high risk on the LS/CMI risk assessment tool.
"Mr. McWilliams does not exhibit empathy or insight into his actions," the parole board wrote following his hearing on April 15.
On Sept. 8, the board once again voted in an unanimous decision to deny McWilliams parole. He is allowed to have another hearing in about five years.
More on the Massachusetts Parole Board
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