JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A long-time custodian at Duval County Public Schools who is facing multiple charges including sexual battery on a child and kidnapping is now accused of impregnating a student while he was working at a Jacksonville school.
Wayne Williams is currently facing 11 charges.
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Williams has been a janitor for DCPS for nearly three decades. The State Attorney’s Office said Williams is now accused of abusing a second child and possibly a third.
In a court document filed last month, the State Attorney’s Office said that while Williams was working as a school janitor, he impregnated a student there, who went on to have the baby. The timeline and school involved are redacted. Court records show a judge granted the state’s request for Williams’ DNA cheek swabs to determine the paternity of the child he allegedly fathered.
Another filing alleges Williams sexually assaulted a victim who lived with him decades ago.
The state is planning to use these allegations as evidence against Williams in a case involving another victim that JSO said was not a student.
“The two motions that were filed by the state puts the defense on notice that at trial, they’re going to seek to introduce past crimes by this defendant. It looks like there were two separate incidents, not sure if it’s the same victim or not,” said attorney Cassandra Smith, who is not involved with the case.
A bond hearing for Williams scheduled for Monday morning has been pushed back to Jan. 12 at 10:30 a.m. due to the judge’s schedule.
Wayne made a brief appearance in Duval County court Monday morning when it was determined the hearing had been rescheduled.
The 62-year-old was arrested on Nov. 8 on three counts of capital sexual battery against a victim less than age 12, two counts of sexual battery against a victim less than 16 years old and one count of kidnapping. He remains in the Duval County jail.
According to his arrest report, Williams is accused of raping a girl under the age of 12. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the case did not involve a student, but investigators believe there could be others who have not come forward yet.
“While the initial allegations against the suspect did not include any students, as the investigation progressed, the detective learned there were highly questionable and likely criminal interactions between the suspect and students at some of these schools,” Lt. Jacob Vorpahl, with the JSO Special Assault Unit, said at a November news conference announcing Williams’ arrest. “To our knowledge, this was the first time the suspect was accused of sexually battering a child; however, from information we have been able to obtain thus far by interviewing multiple people, there are indications that the suspect has been engaged in this type of activity going back as far as the early ‘90s.”
Records show Williams was a custodian at 11 schools in Duval County, including seven elementary schools. One of the schools is no longer open.
News4JAX reached out Monday morning about his current employment status with the district and we did not immediately hear back.
Smith said more charges could be on the way.
“I think based on if they’re able to get the DNA and match it with any other rape kits that are out there, I think we could be seeing additional charges,” Smith said.
DCPS said internal investigations on Williams have been conducted three times prior to this matter:
- 2015 – Investigated for inappropriate comments of a sexual nature about students in a conversation with an employee. DCPS found those claims unsubstantiated.
- 2018 – Investigated for non-sexual inappropriate comments with students and given a verbal warning.
- 2021 – Investigated for an allegation of asking a student for nude photos. This was referred to the Department of Children and Families and JSO. A district investigation concluded the allegations were unsubstantiated.
If you have any information that can help in the investigation, JSO is asking you to call 904-630-0500 or email jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org.