Dakota Sebring Seeks Justice After Alleged Domestic Violence by Ex-Boyfriend Dalton Ridgeway-Williams
Springfield Survivor Dakota Sebring says she is seeking accountability after a violent assault she attributes to her ex-boyfriend, Dalton Ridgeway-Williams, and she alleges he repeatedly violated a protection order while the case remains in court.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Dakota Sebring, who turned 24 in March 2025, says her birthday weekend became a life-threatening ordeal when she was allegedly attacked by her former boyfriend of five years, Dalton Ridgeway-Williams. Sebring says the assault lasted more than an hour and involved repeated strangulation, physical violence, and intimidation. She says she feared she would not survive.
Sebring reports that after she escaped, she filed a police report and obtained a court-issued order of protection. However, she alleges Ridgeway-Williams has violated that order 19 times while on pretrial release and has served only about 60 days in jail. Sebring says she now lives in constant fear and has taken extensive safety precautions, but feels increasingly frustrated that legal paperwork alone cannot prevent continued harassment if someone ignores court directives.
What Sebring says led up to the assault
Sebring says she spent part of her birthday evening out with friends when Ridgeway-Williams allegedly appeared at multiple nearby locations, grabbing her and making verbal threats. She describes the encounters as part of a broader pattern consistent with an escalating cycle of abuse. She says that after repeated interactions, she agreed to meet him at his residence in an effort to calm the situation through conversation.
According to Sebring, once she arrived, he began recording her and accused her of breaking into his home, but did not call law enforcement. She says that what followed was a prolonged assault.
Sebring alleges the attack included:
Beatings and being dragged inside and outside the home
Being strangled multiple times, to the point of near unconsciousness
Being threatened, humiliated, and restrained
She says she was able to escape long enough to call 911.
Sebring states Ridgeway-Williams fled before officers arrived and later turned himself in about two weeks afterward.
Charges and court status described in the report
Sebring says he was charged with aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery, and unlawful restraint, though she says the restraint charge was later dismissed. She also says that since the case began, he has repeatedly violated the protection order and that the consequences have been limited, often involving only short periods in custody.
Sebring alleges the violations included:
Direct contact with her
Using his mother as an intermediary
Illegally accessing her financial accounts and her vehicle
Posting threatening or harassing messages on Facebook, including a post telling her to “find a safe place to spend Thanksgiving”
She says even after a two-year order of protection was granted, he continued posting about her online, which she describes as a direct violation of the court’s terms.
Concerns about safety and accountability
Sebring says upcoming court hearings have largely focused on an unrelated Class X felony drug case involving Ridgeway-Williams, and she worries her domestic violence case could become secondary in plea negotiations instead of being fully prosecuted. She questions why repeated protection-order violations would not carry stronger consequences and says she believes she remains at risk while sanctions remain minimal.
Sebring says she has submitted extensive evidence, including video recordings, text messages, photos, surveillance footage, and police documentation, and she hopes the justice system will take additional action to protect her and hold the accused accountable.
Moving forward
Despite what she describes as severe trauma, Sebring says she recently completed nursing school and is preparing to graduate, focusing on rebuilding her life while continuing to advocate for stronger enforcement and protection.
The report also references a prior criminal case involving Ridgeway-Williams in 2024, in which authorities reportedly recovered large quantities of marijuana and THC wax, firearms, and cash, and filed multiple charges. Sebring cites that history as part of her broader concern about safety and repeat behavior.
