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Federal judge says ex-Lexington County police chief's actions among most 'depraved' during sentencing

The victims ended up coming to William Bruce Parker for help, not knowing he was the one extorting them.

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — A federal judge sentenced a former Lexington County police chief to several years in prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple crimes that the judge said were "as depraved as anything I've seen in my 30 years as a federal district judge."

Prosecutors said 67-year-old William Bruce Parker, of West Columbia, a former police chief in the town of Pine Ridge, was a 35-year veteran of law enforcement and a state constable at the time he was charged in connection with a cyberstalking and sexual extortion investigation.

Authorities said Parker admitted to sending a series of threatening emails, texts and voice messages to several female victims in 2021 and 2022 from fake accounts and phone numbers. Prosecutors said evidence presented at sentencing showed Parker demanded six victims produce and send pornography of themselves or he would harm them or their families physically or sexually.

Officials said Parker also identified the victims' homes, churches, workplaces, schools and communities as well as specific family members, including children, threatening to harm them if they contacted the police.

"Parker also threatened sexual violence against his victim's toddler-aged children and grandchildren," a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice said.

The statement said victims contacted Parker for help because of his position in law enforcement and because they knew him. Prosecutors said he lied to the victims and said he was coordinating an investigation with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and suggested they comply with the extortionists' demands.

Once he had the material, prosecutors said he threatened to leak the images to obtain more.

"His threats culminated with demands that the victims engage in sex acts with Parker, record the conduct, and send to the extortionists," federal prosecutors said in the statement.

Following his guilty plea on charges of cyberstalking resulting in serious bodily injury and communicating threats with the intent to extort victims for the production of pornography and coerced sex acts, U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Parker to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a three-years of supervised release.

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