A South Carolina man who “posed as a combat veteran to gain access to young children,” is going to federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
William Steven Wooten, a 46-year-old from Lexington, was sentenced to more than 9 years in federal prison for stolen valor and possession of child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The FBI was conducting a stolen valor investigation related to Wooten’s possession and use of a fraudulent form DD-214, a military discharge document, according to the release. Wooten claimed to be a combat veteran and to have earned a Purple Heart, but actually never served in the military, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Wooten used the phony document to try to get a job and to convince a single mother that he was an “upstanding citizen” who could be trusted around her young children, according to the release.
As part of the FBI’s investigation, agents searched Wooten’s phone and discovered child sexual abuse material, in addition to the fraudulent DD-214, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. FBI forensic examiners located 203 images depicting child sexual abuse, while search terms indicated Wooten was seeking images of young girls, including children being abused by men, according to the release.
Eight months before the FBI found Wooten in possession of child sexual abuse material and the fraudulent discharge document, he was found guilty in a state court for a charge of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
Just weeks before his federal trial in February 2026, Wooten pleaded guilty to possessing the fraudulent DD-214, according to the release. U.S. District Judge Donald Coggins sentenced Wooten to 109 months in prison, to be followed by a 20-year term of court-ordered supervision, according to the release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Wooten exploited the respect our society holds for veterans for his own personal gain. Worse yet, he posed as a combat veteran to gain access to young children,” U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said in the release. “This sentence holds him accountable for a disturbing pattern of deception and exploitation. This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting children and ensuring predators face significant consequences for their crimes.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case. Information about Wooten’s attorney was not available.
“The defendant’s possession of child sexual abuse material was deeply disturbing as was his victimization of children,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Anish Shukla.
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Source: www.thestate.com
