Smyth County man charged with child exploitation resigns from school board

The vice chair of the Smyth County School Board, who has been accused of spending more than $10,000 buying nude images from at least six juveniles he met online, has agreed to resign his seat, as requested last week by his five fellow board members.

The resignation of Todd Stewart Williams, 53, of Chilhowie was effective Thursday. He faces a federal charge of sexual exploitation of children.

The school board issued a statement through Superintendent Dennis Carter Thursday evening announcing the resignation.

On Aug. 26, board members called on Williams to resign, saying that the board recognizes there is a presumption of innocence under the law, but that the “alleged conduct makes it impossible and inappropriate for Mr. Williams to remain in the position of trust he holds as an elected School Board member.”

The seat, which represents the Chilhowie District, is now vacant, and the board will appoint someone to serve until a special election can be held. The board will request that the election be set for Nov. 4, 2025, according to the statement. The four-year term for the seat ends in December 2027.

Anyone interested in filling the seat should contact Tara French, clerk of the board, at tarafrench@scsb.org or 276-783-3791. Application materials will soon be available, the board said.

The board has no legal authority to remove an elected member. Under state law, an elected official can only be removed by a circuit court for “neglect of a clear, ministerial duty of the office, misuse of the office, or incompetence in the performance of the duties of the office,” as well as for the conviction of certain crimes, like hate crimes or sexual battery. The removal petition must include the signatures of registered voters in the district equal to 10% of the votes cast at the last election for that position.

Williams is accused of enticing young boys to send him nude images and sexually explicit videos of themselves and others between May 2022 and January 2024. The charge was announced Aug. 23 by the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia.

Williams was arrested the same day and has been held since then at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail, according to online jail records.

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