Neighbors of accused Volusia County foster care molester angered by horrifying allegations

The home tucked away at the dead-end of Acirema Avenue is where Lawrence Williams is accused of abusing young girls in his care. 

His home is barely noticeable through banana trees surrounding the property. A neighbor says those trees and security cameras went up less than two years ago.

"We got a live (sic) here all the time. I lived across the street from this guy," said Richard Schirner III. "I never even knew he was even in foster care. I just saw kids coming and going and coming and coming and going. I figured it was like their family."

According to his Volusia County affidavit, Williams and his wife, Rosanne, cared for multiple young girls over the last year, including at least six at one time. 

"There is no way shape or form that she didn’t know about it," Schirner said. "I think I would wonder if she was a prisoner in that world too."

Investigators said many of the girls that were in his care told police they were taken to a shed that they referred to as the "punishment room."

There, court documents said Williams spanked and touched the girls inappropriately. He also forced them to touch him. He’s also accused of molesting a girl as young as 8 years old. 

"Maybe the trainings might need to be a little bit more strenuous because background checks don’t always tell the story of who a person is," said Derrick Collins. 

Collins is the program director of the Mr. and Ms. Mentoring Program. He has worked with the foster care system for over a decade. He says the allegations are alarming but, unfortunately, not shocking. 

"We have to do better in weeding out before they even get into the system," Collins said. "Make sure they’ll be [a] more strenuous process and more of a background, and get to know these people before they put them in this position that they have power."