Predator of girls used 3 Facebook personas
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Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly announces Friday the filing of 68 felony counts against William R. Ainsworth of Mars. Mr. Ainsworth, 53, will be tried in Butler County.
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First, prosecutors say, William Ainsworth lured the young girls by portraying himself on Facebook as a rebellious 15-year-old runaway surfer.
The persona of the young man, "Bill Cano," complimented the girls he met online, telling them how pretty they were, how wonderful they made him feel, how much he wanted them.
And then, in an act of what could be considered evil genius, Mr. Ainsworth killed off Bill Cano, replacing him with a best friend or brother, named Anthony "Rip" Navari.
Playing on their grief, Rip convinced the girls to confide in him. They had someone to share their loss with, and all of a sudden, a new relationship had begun.
In all, according to the state Attorney General's office, Mr. Ainsworth portrayed three different people online who solicited nude photographs of the girls, engaged in illicit conversations online and ultimately met with two of them for sexual activity.
Mr. Ainsworth, 53, of Mars, was charged Thursday with 68 felony counts and will be tried in Butler County. The prosecution has identified seven victims, including girls from Butler, Allegheny and Beaver counties, as well as West Virginia.
"He was many different people to his intended victims," said Attorney General Linda Kelly. "The three personas he created were all connected and had a purpose."
Mr. Ainsworth was first arrested in September at the home of a 14-year-old girl where police say he had gone to engage in sexual activity.
"We quickly discovered that there was much more to this case than the sexual solicitation of one girl," Ms. Kelly said.
Assistant Public Defender Terri M. Schultz said her client maintains his innocence.
"He's devastated, and he's worried about what this does to his family," she said. He has two teenage daughters.
Mr. Ainsworth knew additional charges were coming but not that there would be so many, Ms. Schultz said.
"When my client got these, he was very surprised by the amount," she said. "I didn't realize the extent or what they were going to be."
Mr. Ainsworth previously worked as a car salesman and owned a Butler County restaurant, Six Pack Grill, that closed before his arrest, his attorney said.
First Published February 11, 2012 12:00 am
