Attorney General Mayes Announces Conviction of Phoenix Man for Sex Trafficking and Luring of a Minor

PHOENIX  – Today, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that on January 9, 2025 a Maricopa County jury found William Schlicher guilty of aggravated luring a minor for sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. 

“As the top law enforcement officer in Arizona, I will continue to bring sexual predators to justice. I take seriously my duty to protect Arizona children and their families from sexual exploitation and sex trafficking,” said Attorney General Mayes. “My office remains vigilant as we work to prevent, investigate, and prosecute child predators.”  

In 2021, Schlicher responded to an online advertisement for sex with a minor. Schlicher then communicated online with an individual he believed to be the stepfather of a thirteen-year-old girl. In reality, the individual was an undercover officer with the Phoenix Police Department and there was no actual child. During these communications, Schlicher engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent a sexually explicit photo, and agreed to use gift cards to pay for sex with fictitious minor.  

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Phoenix Police Department. The prosecution was conducted by Assistant Attorneys General Amy Diederich and Carolina Lopez. The case was handled by the Arizona Attorney General’s Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit of the Criminal Division. A copy of the indictment is available below. The case number is CR2022-002622-001.