A Washington man previously charged with child sex crimes and animal abuse is on the run after cutting off his ankle monitor.
David Williford, 38, had been sentenced to home arrest on April 29 in relation to an incest charge. Just six days later, however, he cut off his ankle monitor, per KOMO News. Authorities responded within 40 minutes of being alerted, but he had already fled. Williford was last seen on May 5 in West Seattle’s North Admiral neighborhood.
Jim Fuda of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound told the outlet, "He needs to be scooped up quickly. Before he does a last hurrah or before he knows people are looking for him. When he cut that ankle bracelet off, he knew people would be looking for him."
In 2016, Williford pleaded guilty to four counts of fourth-degree assault, which had been reduced from child molestation and rape charges, per a report from The News Tribune at the time. In that case, he was sentenced to two years suspended, meaning he would remain free from jail if he did not commit further crimes. He was also ordered to seek a psychosexual evaluation and follow-up treatment.
Charging papers stated that an acquaintance had reported the year prior that Williford had raped two women when they were minors. The victims, when interviewed by police, said that he had sexually assaulted them over two years, starting when they were around 5 and 8 years old.
Williford had already been in custody in a separate county for animal abuse charges during the investigation into the sex crimes. He pleaded guilty in the animal abuse case to one count of second-degree animal abuse and was given a one-year suspended sentence.
Williford had guinea pig and rabbit carcasses in his home, prosecutors said, some of which had severed heads. Some live animals were found in small cages as well in unsanitary conditions.
The case has been referred to a specialized unit that focuses on capturing fugitives and high-risk arrests by the Washington Department of Corrections. Anyone with information on Williford’s location is urged to contact Crime Stoppers, which is involved in the search. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
