Overview

• A Utah grand jury indicted William James Purdy on July 16 for sexual exploitation of minors and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual contact.
• Federal agents arrested Purdy on July 24 in Pittsburgh, where he was attending law school and interning at a law firm.
• Court documents allege he groomed and sexually abused 14 boys in Tonga between 2017 and 2022 while serving as a missionary and teacher.
• Prosecutors say Purdy fled Tonga in March 2023 by stealing a mentally disabled man’s identity and obtaining a false passport.
• The Department of Justice is prosecuting the case under its Project Safe Childhood initiative with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Diplomatic Security Service and Tongan authorities.