West Valley City man federally indicted for alleged years-long sexual abuse of children in Tonga

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) — A Utah man has been federally indicted for allegedly abusing young boys while in the Kingdom of Tonga, first as a missionary and later as an educator. Law enforcement has identified at least 14 minor victims who allegedly suffered “hundreds of instances of sexual abuse.”

William James Purdy, 28, is facing two federal counts of sexual exploitation of children with production outside of the U.S. and one federal count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He was arrested in Pittsburgh, PA, yesterday.

According to court documents, Purdy used his status as “a person in a position of public trust” to prey on young children while in the Kingdom of Tonga. He allegedly first travelled there between 2017 and 2019 as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would later return as an educator between 2020 and 2023.

Purdy allegedly used his position of trust to “prey upon boys in remote communities” and would bribe “them with gifts, money, and other promises.”

In 2022, documents say an 8-year-old boy reported that Purdy had sexually abused him during weekly private tutoring sessions. The Kingdom of Tonga indicted Purdy, and he faced three counts of indecent assault on a child. Purdy was held in jail for several days before being released on bond. Victims told law enforcement that the abuse continued once he was released from jail.

Local mothers in the community allegedly supported Purdy at first, unaware that their children had also been victims of him. Documents say that Purdy “had fooled these mothers for years into believing he was a trustworthy caretaker of their sons.”

Alleged “escape” from Tonga

As part of Purdy’s release on bond, his U.S. passport was confiscated to prevent him from leaving the country before his trial. According to court documents, Purdy would repeatedly book flights back to the U.S. In December 2022, he submitted an affidavit that he needed to leave Tonga for medical treatment and promised to return because “I have considered myself a Tongan and Tonga to be my country,” according to the affidavit.

The medical treatment that Purdy wanted to return to the U.S. for was an eye treatment that took roughly 30 minutes to complete, according to Tongan court documents. A doctor sent a letter to the court stating that Purdy needed the eye “surgery,” but it was later determined that he allegedly wrote the letter himself and had a doctor sign it.

The indictment alleges that in March 2023, Purdy submitted an application for a Tongan passport and used his own photo, but the name and identity of “a mentally disabled Tongan man.” Purdy was able to obtain this passport and allegedly used it to flee to Fiji before his trial in April 2023.

While in Fiji, Purdy allegedly went to the U.S. Embassy and applied for an emergency passport, stating that his had been stolen. The embassy issued him an emergency passport, which he used to return to his parents’ home in West Valley City, Utah. Court documents say his legal address is at the West Valley City home, but he was most recently in Pittsburgh, attending law school.

Investigation into abuse

The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Diplomatic Security Services, and the Tonga Police Department began investigating Purdy’s crimes after he fled from the Kingdom of Tonga. Court documents say that 14 minor victims have been identified so far, and they have reported “hundreds of instances of sexual abuse and attempted sexual abuse” by Purdy.

“Purdy groomed and manipulated these minor victims and their parents. He bought them candy, toys, food and drinks, clothing and shoes, cellphones, gaming devices, a ukulele and digital keyboard, and birthday gifts. He gave cash to his minor victims. He drove them to stores and took them on trips,” a court document about Purdy’s crimes reads.

One of the victim’s mothers told law enforcement that she felt like Purdy had “tricked her” into allowing him into a position of trust and that she was “deeply ashamed.” Even while Purdy was in jail, he had allegedly been manipulating these mothers, lying that he was being held for discipline and not sexual abuse.

Purdy’s first visit to the Kingdom of Tonga had taken place in February 2017 to serve a mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Documents allege that he abused four minor victims during this time. The victims reported that Purdy had told them not to tell anyone about what happened.

Purdy had allegedly “lured the boys with access to electronics such as a Nintendo Switch and remote-controlled cars and helicopters,” items he shouldn’t have had access to as a missionary. He would also offer cash, cell phones, and order them “anything they wanted” from the U.S.

Witnesses reported that, during his mission, Purdy did not spend time with adults, only children. After he returned to the U.S. in 2019, he allegedly maintained contact with several of the young boys and sent them gifts. Purdy asked to come back to Tonga and spend Christmas with one of the families.

After graduating from the University of Utah, Purdy returned to the Kingdom of Tonga. He worked at an international school and began living in the country full time. During this time, multiple underage boys would move in with the man “under the guise of tutoring and providing enrichment for their studies.”

Even after fleeing back to Utah from the Kingdom of Tonga, Purdy began trying to obtain a student visa for one of the minor victims who had lived with him while in Tonga. Purdy and his parents allegedly worked to sponsor the underage victim to live with them and attend school in Utah.

Evidence was seized from Purdy’s computer at his West Valley City residence, and law enforcement allegedly located child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that had been recorded using hidden cameras set up in his bathrooms. He had also allegedly sent sexual images of himself to minor victims and “catfished” one child into meeting up with him.

Purdy was federally indicted on July 16, 2025, and arrested in Pittsburgh, PA, on July 24. He will be transferred to Utah to face criminal proceedings from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Utah.

There are no conditions or combination of conditions that will keep the community safe from the defendant or prevent the defendant from attempting to flee. He took a great risk in molesting these boys in small, close-knit Tongan communities, took a great risk in hiding a camera in his bedroom, took a great risk in placing cameras in his bathrooms after being confronted, took a great risk to continue molesting boys even after indictment, took a great risk in fleeing Tonga, and took a great risk trying to sponsor a minor victim on a student visa and bring the sexual abuse back home to the United States. Although the defendant may be relatively young, he already has so many victims.
Request for Detention filed for Purdy, document prepared by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joey L. Blanch for the District of Utah and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Branch

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