John Williams, 32, of Ventura admitted vandalizing public and private property with swastikas and posting photos online to sow fear. Williams was convicted of forcible rape in 2019, was on parole during the crimes, and has prior parole violations and a prior strike conviction. He was arrested March 30, initially pleaded not guilty, then withdrew that plea and pleaded guilty to three felony vandalism counts (damage exceeding $400), three felony hate crime counts, two misdemeanor vandalism counts, and one misdemeanor for possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon. Bail is $250,000 and sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 17. Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Hayley Moyer said symbols of hate remain dangerous reminders.
Earlier this year, a social media account started documenting the mysterious and alarming appearance of spray-painted swastikas around downtown Ventura. But the account was not run by a good Samaritan trying to draw attention to a hate crime, authorities later determined. It was instead the handiwork of a convicted rapist who was committing the vandalism himself, then posting photos online in an effort to sow fear, according to the Ventura Police Department and the county district attorney's office.
John Williams, 32, of Ventura admitted this week that he had vandalized public and private property with swastikas. Williams was convicted of forcible rape in 2019 and was on parole at the time of the crimes, according to court records. He was arrested on March 30 and initially pleaded not guilty, but withdrew that plea Tuesday as part of a plea bargain, prosecutors said.
He has now pleaded guilty to three felony counts of vandalism for damage exceeding $400, three felony hate crime counts, two misdemeanor counts of vandalism and one misdemeanor count of possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon, prosecutors said. He remains in custody in lieu of $250,000 bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.
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