Man back in jail 2 days after his release

A man police say is a serial child predator was back in jail Thursday, two days after he was arrested and released because of jail overcrowding.

Donald Royce Williard, 28, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail with bail set at $25,000. He was charged Thursday with four misdemeanor counts of lewdness and three misdemeanor counts of lewdness involving a child.

According to charges filed in Salt Lake's 3rd District Court, Williard exposed himself to a group of Wasatch Elementary students who were playing on a jungle gym in September. The next month, a woman told police Williard, nude except for a ski mask, was committing a lewd act near the University of Utah, according to the charging documents.

Williard was interviewed by police and admitted to committing lewd acts in front of women and children on at least 10 occasions, court documents state.

The man was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday, but he was released just a few hours later because of overcrowding. A sheriff's spokesman said Williard was eligible for release because he was a nonviolent offender with misdemeanor charges.

Salt Lake police and prosecutors expressed frustration with the decision Wednesday.

"It's just ridiculous," Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank told the Deseret News. "This person has a history against kids, and he's not being held at all. That's why I have a lot of concern. Is that someone we want on our streets?"

A search warrant was issued for Williard's arrest Thursday afternoon, and the man was booked into jail just before 7 p.m.

— Aaron Falk