Ex-NASCAR publicist pleads guilty of statutory rape

A former NASCAR publicist pleaded guilty Monday to several charges, including statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a child, for his relationship with a young girl. Richard Norman “Chip" Williams, 50, of Mooresville, is already serving a 26-year prison sentence on federal charges that he had a sexual relationship with a girl who was 11 years old when they met online in 2002.

Williams pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of first-degree sexual offense, one count of statutory rape and three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, authorities said. He was sentenced to between 20 years and 24 years and nine months, to run concurrently with the federal sentence. Williams will get credit for nearly a year he spent in the Guilford County jail.