Convicted child sex offender, animal abuser in custody after escaping house arrest

A man with a known history of child sex crimes and animal abuse—who freed himself from his ankle monitor and escaped house arrest—was caught Monday night.

The Department of Corrections reported, via a news release, Mason County Sheriff’s deputies brought David Williford safely into custody.

“He would actually go on the web and look for animals to take. He would torture them and then kill them,” Jim Fuda with Crimestoppers of Puget Sound said. “Then, he’s got some child sexual abuse cases against him.”

Williford was recently sentenced to home arrest for a charge involving incest.

“He needs to be scooped up quickly before he does a last hurrah or before he knows people are looking for him,” Jim Fuda, the executive director of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound, told KOMO News. “When he cut that ankle bracelet off, he knew people would be looking for him.”

Williford’s charges in 2015

Williford has a long track record of heinous crimes. Ten years ago, he was charged with child rape and child molestation while simultaneously facing six counts of animal abuse. According to prosecutors, Williford methodically tortured animals for entertainment.

Last month, Williford was sentenced to home arrest and ordered to stay with his mother. He removed his ankle monitor less than a week later and fled the scene before responding authorities could get to the residence.

This story was originally published on May 12, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

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