A small Oregon town is reeling after the arrest of Rainier Junior/Senior High School’s principal, who now faces serious child pornography charges.
Authorities say the case began in August when the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office received multiple referrals from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tips indicated that social media accounts belonging to a Longview, Washington man were uploading child sexual assault material that matched known files in the national database.
Detectives later confirmed the accounts belonged to 49-year-old Jeremy Peter Williams—the sitting principal of Rainier Junior/Senior High School in Columbia County, Oregon.
On September 16, investigators served a search warrant at Williams’ home in Longview, seizing computers, phones, and storage devices. He was arrested at the scene and booked on multiple charges, including dealing and possessing depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Law enforcement emphasized there is no evidence any students from Rainier School District were involved. The district also confirmed that Williams was already on paid administrative leave for what they described as an “unrelated issue” at the time of his arrest.
The disturbing revelations have shocked both parents and community members, who are left grappling with how a school leader entrusted with guiding students could be accused of such crimes.