ORLANDO, Fla. — The former Orlando leader of the Bahia Shrine in Central Florida was found guilty of one count of distributing child pornography under a plea agreement a federal judge approved Friday.
- William Trey Rapp, 49, faces as much as 20 years in federal prison
- The Orlando man is being held in Seminole County's jail
- He had 600 images of child porn, a plea agreement said
- RELATED: Ex-Leader of Orlando-Area Bahia Shrine Accused in Child-Porn Case
William Trey Rapp, 49, is the former potentate, or top leader, of Bahia Shriners. He'll be sentenced January 2 in a federal courtroom in Orlando and faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Eduardo Mendoza accepted Rapp’s plea agreement during a brief hearing Friday at the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse off West Central Boulevard.
The deal, outlined in a 23-page document, dismisses two other child-porn charges against Rapp, once known as Illustrious Sir William Trey Rapp of the Bahia Shrine.
The agreement also says federal prosecutors will recommend a less-than-maximum penalty for Rapp in exchange for his cooperation and guilty plea.
The Bahia Shriners, a charitable organization, is part of an international nonprofit dedicated to helping families and children, especially young burn victims.
Shriners International also supports Shriners Hospitals for Children, a health system with 22 locations.
Fez-wearing Shriners also drive tiny cars in parades and participate in various community events.
The 65th Annual Bahia Shrine Circus, for example, was held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee in May.
The Bahia Shrine in Central Florida said Rapp was no longer with the group when the charges against him became public in July.
That Shrine, located in Apopka, has roughly 2,300 members in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties.
A criminal complaint says the FBI detected a suspected download of child porn June 17 and traced it to Rapp. One of the videos showed a man attacking a 5-year-old girl, authorities say.
An investigator with a search warrant went to Rapp’s house at 7 a.m. July 18 and asked about his online activities. Rapp cooperated and said he used a file-sharing program to view child porn, the complaint said.
He also shared the illegal images with others, he said. He said he couldn’t recall when he began viewing child porn but said his attraction to children began when he was a child and “it never left him.”
Rapp had about 600 images, according to his plea agreement. He tried to stop viewing child porn about two years ago, when he and his wife adopted a baby girl. But he couldn’t stop, his plea agreement said. The girl is now almost 3, records show.
Rapp was deemed a danger to the community during a detention hearing in Orlando before Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly on July 18. Since then, he’s been held at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford.