Former High School Wrestling Coach Arrested On Child Porn Charges

GAITHERSBURG, MD — A former volunteer wrestling coach at Gaithersburg's Quince Orchard High School faces child pornography charges after authorities found sexually explicit files at his residence during a drug investigation, according to charging documents.

Dake Williams, 28, of Potomac, was charged with ten counts of possession of child pornography, court records reveal. Authorities arrested him on Sept. 9 for the underage pornography following a two-year investigation.

Law enforcement officials were first alerted of Williams on Oct. 16, 2017, charging documents show. At about 1:05 a.m., officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at JFK airport in New York found a package addressed to Williams that contained an illegal, synthetic drug called MDMA.

Three days later, members of the Metropolitan Area Drug Task Force and a U.S. Postal inspector visited Williams' home to learn out more about the drug-laden parcel, officials said. Inside Williams' residence, officers said they found a white, powdery substance in glass vials, in Ziploc bags, and on a scale.

Authorities obtained a search warrant of Williams' home that same day and seized "numerous items of contraband, evidence and electronic devices," court documents state.

Officials said they found more than a thousand videos and images of child pornography.

Williams was arrested on Sept. 9, 2019, and released on bond four days later, court records show.

The 28-year-old Potomac resident was a volunteer wrestling coach at Quince Orchard High School from 2015 to 2018. The school's principal, Elizabeth L. Thomas, sent a letter to families about the arrest on Monday. She said the charges "appear to be unrelated to his role as a volunteer coach."

"His alleged behavior is extremely concerning and these charge represent a violation of our school's core values and the values of our Montgomery County community," Thomas wrote.

Thomas ended the letter with a callout to students who may be affected by the news.

"We are committed to the well-being of all of our students. A support team of school psychologists, counselors, and pupil personnel workers from MCPS will join our staff this week to provide counseling and support to students upon request," Thomas said.