A Kalamazoo man has been sentenced in federal court to nearly 17 years in prison for attempting to entice a minor for sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
William Isaak Sparks, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan to 16 years and 9 months in federal prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release. Sparks pleaded guilty on April 3, 2025, to using the internet and a cellphone to attempt to persuade, induce, or entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Upon release, he must register as a sex offender. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the cellphone utilized during the offense.
Case Background
Court documents show that in May 2024, Sparks engaged in two separate online conversations with an undercover FBI agent posing as the father of an 11-year-old child. Sparks expressed intent to travel from Michigan to Jacksonville, Florida, to engage in sexual acts with the purported minor and asked that a bus ticket be purchased for him.
Prosecutors stated that Sparks described prior sexual encounters with minors and transmitted multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of children to the undercover agent.
Before he could travel to Florida, Sparks was arrested on May 24, 2024, by the Michigan State Police. In that incident, Sparks arrived at a predetermined meeting location with a condom and $45 after attempting to meet another purported 11-year-old child. The child did not exist, and the encounter was part of a separate investigative operation in Michigan.
Investigation and Prosecution
The sentencing follows a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Township of Kalamazoo Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
The matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative targeting child exploitation offenses nationwide.
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