JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The local court appearance for a former downtown Johnson City resident, accused of being a serial rapist, has been postponed.

A federal judge in North Carolina granted a request from Williams’s attorney to delay his trial. The new deadline for pretrial motions is Sept. 16, with no specific trial date yet determined.

The 53-year-old is suspected of dozens of rapes in his Johnson City apartment, including several of children.

He was captured in North Carolina in 2023 and faces federal drug and child pornography possession charges there.

His attorney said she was in early plea negotiations with defense attorneys.

First Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney informed News Channel 11 of his plan to indict Williams on several rape charges after the conclusion of the federal case.

Williams already faces three state charges of child rape in the First District and has been sentenced to 95 years for federal child pornography production-related offenses in Tennessee.