Longview, Washington / Rainier, Oregon — Jeremy Peter Williams, the former principal of Rainier Junior/Senior High School in Columbia County, Oregon, has been sentenced to 61 months (just over five years) in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material.
Williams, 50, of Longview, Washington, appeared in Cowlitz County Superior Court on February 23, 2026, where Judge Thad Scudder imposed the sentence. As part of a plea agreement, Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Prosecutors originally charged him with 13 counts following his arrest in September 2025, but 10 were dismissed under the deal.
The case stemmed from tips received by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators linked social media accounts on platforms such as Discord and Kik—belonging to Williams—to the sharing of known child sexual abuse images. A search of his residence uncovered devices containing the material, with no evidence indicating involvement of students from the Rainier School District.
At the time of his arrest on September 16, 2025, Williams was already on paid administrative leave from his position as principal, which he held since 2022. The Rainier School District placed him on leave following controversial social media comments he made celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed earlier that month.
In addition to the prison term, Williams must register as a sex offender for 15 years, serve 36 months of community custody (supervised release) upon completion of his sentence, and pay $3,000 in court fees.
The sentencing highlights a series of serious offenses uncovered through multi-agency cooperation and online monitoring efforts to combat child exploitation material. Authorities emphasized that the crimes did not involve direct contact with or victimization of local students.
Williams’ tenure at the school ended following his legal troubles, and the district appointed an acting principal shortly after his arrest.