Williamson County in violation of a court order. Requests for justice.  DOJ, FBI, US Attorney,  Texas Attorney General

Via Certified Mail and Email

Office of the Attorney General of Texas
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, Texas 78711-2548

United States Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

United States Attorney’s Office – Western District of Texas
601 NW Loop 410, Suite 600
San Antonio, Texas 78216



To Whom It May Concern,

I submit this letter as a formal request for investigation into a pattern of misconduct involving Williamson County officials and a broader defamation-for-profit pipeline that includes arrest and mugshot publishing websites and their continued amplification on major social media platforms.

This matter implicates violations of a court sealing order, due process failures, misuse of public records, defamation, deceptive commercial practices, and regulatory inaction, warranting review by state and federal authorities.



Summary of the Issue

In 2019, an arrest image of mine was generated and later sealed by court order. That order prohibited the image’s release, reuse, or redistribution.

Despite this, the same sealed 2019 image was reused and publicly circulated to represent a separate arrest in December 2023—four years later. The age difference is visually apparent. The legal status of the image was unambiguous at the time of reuse: it was sealed and legally inaccessible.

The image was released by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and subsequently propagated through arrest-based publishing sites, resulting in ongoing reputational harm and defamation.



Key Facts Requiring Investigation

1. A 2019 arrest image sealed by court order was reused to represent a December 2023 arrest.
2. The sealing order was in effect at the time of reuse.
3. The image was released by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
4. The image was republished by arrest and mugshot websites that monetize defamation through advertising.
5. After the violation became apparent, there was no public correction, retraction, or disclosure of remedial action.
6. The content continues to circulate online and on social media platforms, compounding the harm.



Defamation-for-Profit Arrest Sites

The republishing entities operate a defamation business model:

– Publishing arrest images and accusations without outcomes or context;
– Selling advertising and, in some cases, paid “removal” or reputation services;
– Failing to publish meaningful contact information or ownership details while engaging in commercial activity;
– Relying on government-supplied data to legitimize defamatory content while disclaiming responsibility.

This is not journalism. It is monetized defamation.



FTC Outreach and Regulatory Failure

I have contacted the Federal Trade Commission without success, including submitting FOIA requests, regarding these arrest and mugshot sites and their deceptive practices—specifically the non-publication of contact information while selling advertising and the exploitation of arrest data to generate revenue.

To date, I have received no substantive response or enforcement action. This regulatory vacuum has allowed these entities to continue harming individuals with impunity.



Platform Amplification (Facebook and Others)

These defamatory arrest pages are allowed to distribute content widely on social media platforms, including Facebook, where algorithmic amplification magnifies harm.

When sealed or inaccurate arrest content is allowed to circulate on major platforms, the injury becomes permanent, searchable, and self-reinforcing.



Why This Matters

Court sealing orders exist to prevent precisely this outcome: the resurrection of prior allegations to prejudice later events. When sealed records are reused, monetized, and amplified—without correction—the justice system’s protections collapse.

If law enforcement can release sealed material, defamation sites can profit, regulators fail to act, and platforms continue to amplify the content, then the harm is systemic, not accidental.



Requested Actions

I respectfully request that your offices:

1. Investigate the release and reuse of the sealed 2019 image by Williamson County officials.
2. Identify all personnel involved in authorizing or disseminating the image.
3. Examine the role of arrest and mugshot websites in perpetuating defamation using government-supplied material.
4. Review the failure to disclose contact information while selling advertising as a deceptive commercial practice.
5. Coordinate with the FTC regarding regulatory enforcement failures.
6. Evaluate platform amplification of sealed or defamatory arrest content and any resulting civil-rights implications.
7. Take corrective and enforcement action to prevent recurrence.



Exhibits

– Exhibit A: Side-by-side comparison of the sealed 2019 image and its reuse in 2023.
– Exhibit B: Court order sealing the 2019 arrest image.
– Exhibit C: Public-facing arrest publications utilizing the sealed image.
– Exhibit D: Examples of arrest/mugshot sites monetizing the content without adequate contact disclosures.



Closing

This letter is submitted in good faith and in the interest of accountability, consumer protection, and the rule of law. I am prepared to cooperate fully with any inquiry and to provide additional documentation upon request.

Respectfully,


/s/
LeRoy Nellis
Austin, Texas