A Dekalb County Jury returned a guilty verdict against William Ryan Hudgins, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.  It took the jury only 30 minutes to deliberate and return their verdict. 

The Defendant, William Ryan Hudgins was originally Indicted in April 2023 by a DeKalb County Grand Jury for sexual battery by authority figure.  The victim was his 17-year-old niece. 

While the family was vacationing from Michigan in a rented cabin, the defendant (the victim’s uncle) creeped into her room to commit the act. They were vacationing as a family between the week of Christmas and New Year.  The offense occurred on early morning hours of New Year’s Day January 1st, 2023.

The lead detective was Stephen Barrett with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Chris Isom, a Criminal Investigator with the District Attorney’s Office.

“Great appreciation is also shown to Niles Michigan Police Officers Carl Adam Ashley and Jacob Rosin, who responded to the family home the evening of January 1, 2023,” said District Attorney General Bryant C. Dunaway. “The victim disclosed to Michigan officers what happened to her in Tennessee at the hands of her uncle in the basement before they traveled back to Michigan.  The Victim’s parents were protective and called police when they learned of the abuse. The Defendant confessed to his sexual battery of the child to law enforcement officers.”

This case was prosecuted at trial by the Asst. District Attorney’s Jessica Krebs and Randal Gilliam, members of the District Attorney’s Child Abuse Prosecution Team.

“Please keep the victim and her parents in your prayers,” Dunaway said. 

“Please remember that persons who abuse children are many times persons who hold trusted positions and have access to children.  Please maintain open and honest conversations with your children and be watchful.”