Tiverton Teen Enticer Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Tiverton man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for persuading a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl to let him take her to his family's Rhode Island home to engage in sexual activity.

William Stewart, 22, must also pay the teen and her family $5,000 in restitution, according to a media release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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Stewart pleaded guilty in April 2024 to enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the release said.

Stewart began communicating with the girl via Snapchat on June 17, 2021, and quickly learned she was 13, according to the release.

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"Stewart admitted that in the middle of the night on June 30, 2021, he picked the girl up from outside her home and began to drive with her to his home in Tiverton, Rhode Island, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with her," the release said.

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"Stewart drove with the girl through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island," the release said. "While en route to Rhode Island, Stewart stayed at a hotel in New London, Connecticut, where he engaged in sexual activity with the minor victim and provided her drugs. After arriving in Rhode Island, Stewart continued to engage in sexual activity with the victim."

Stewart arrived at his family's Tiverton home on the Fourth of July and introduced his relatives to the girl, according to the release, "using a false name for her and falsely stating that she was 19 years old.

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Three days later, the teen contacted a friend via Snapchat and asked for help, the release said.

The Tiverton police then figured out were she was staying and headed to Stewart's home, acccording to the release.

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