Captain Carson's Bio
Captain William Carson has more than 29 years experience as a police officer in the St. Louis metropolitan area. He has served 16 years in criminal investigation units as a detective, a supervisor and eventually a commander. He has significant experience in juvenile, sex crimes, homicide, and undercover narcotics & vice investigations, and has been awarded a number of commendations for investigative work. In addition to this experience, he has received several hundred hours of specialized training related to the investigation of sex crimes.
Currently, Captain Carson is a commander with the Maryland Heights (MO) Police Department and serves as a Deputy Commander with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. He has investigated and commanded homicide investigations for the Major Case Squad in St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties in Missouri.
As the Commander of Investigations in Maryland Heights, Captain Carson initiated and developed a pro-active online predator program using two injured police officers. The officers, who were restricted to light duty for an extended period of time due to injuries, were formally trained to conduct undercover online investigations. This program has had tremendous success, with more than 40 men arrested in a 20 month period on child enticement and child pornography charges.
Captain Carson has a Masters Degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Upon completing his graduate studies, Captain Carson conducted interviews with incarcerated sex offenders as part of two separate research projects. These interviews took place over a three-year period (2003-2005) at seven different prisons throughout the state of Missouri. More than 70 convicted child molesters were studied in detail for these two projects, including a unique series of interviews with 18 women that had been convicted of molesting children.
Captain Carson sits on the Missouri State Child Fatality Review Panel, and is an active member of the International Homicide Investigators Association. He has written several articles and taught thousands of police officers, prosecutors and social service workers on the subject of understanding and interviewing sex offenders. He has consulted with schools, churches and youth organizations offering insight on ways to better protect children from sexual offenders.
Captain Carson is married to Holly Carson, a psychotherapist who is in private practice in St. Charles, Missouri. They have two children and live in the St. Louis area.