A Milwaukee man accused of participating in the abduction of a 7-year-old boy—an incident that triggered a statewide Amber Alert—is now challenging the evidence against him.

Corey Williams, identified by prosecutors as one of three individuals involved in the July 11 kidnapping of young Jamal Williams, appeared in Milwaukee County Court on Friday for his initial hearing.

During the proceedings, Williams denied some of the allegations and at times engaged directly with the court commissioner over statements attributed to him.

According to the criminal complaint and related search warrant affidavits, the kidnapping stemmed from a failed robbery attempt.

Prosecutors allege that Corey Williams and two accomplices had planned to rob someone they believed to be a local drug dealer—Shavon Williams, the boy’s mother.

When she was not home, the suspects allegedly redirected their plan to the father’s residence, located near North 61st and West Hustis streets.

Surveillance video shows a white Jeep Renegade pulling into a driveway at that location.

One individual is seen chasing the child’s father into the home, while another suspect follows Jamal up the driveway, forcibly grabbing him and placing him into the vehicle. Prosecutors say Corey Williams was the driver.

During Friday’s hearing, Court Commissioner Barry Phillips addressed Williams directly about his role in the abduction.

“As the driver, you could have easily said, ‘Don’t take the kid. Don’t bring that kid in this car.’ You didn’t do that,” Phillips said.

Court documents further reveal that the suspects took Jamal to Williams’ home near North 39th and West Lloyd streets.

While there, the child reportedly watched cartoons and played with Legos.

Investigators also traced more than 40 phone calls from the kidnappers to the boy’s mother, demanding $100,000 in cash and jewelry in exchange for the child’s safe return.

“How do we know all of that? Because the defendant himself told us,” said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Johnson, referring to Williams’ own statements to police.

Williams appeared visibly frustrated during parts of the hearing, shaking his head and disputing key portions of the prosecution’s narrative.

One moment of contention came when Commissioner Phillips referenced a disturbing admission allegedly made by Williams during police questioning:

“What you also said to the police is that when the mother did not meet you to pay the ransom, for a little while, you thought about hurting that kid,” Phillips said.

“That’s a lie,” Williams replied.

“OK, well, it’s on tape, and we’ll find out if it’s a lie or not,” Phillips responded.

“Clearly, you all didn’t watch it, then,” Williams said.

Bail for Corey Williams was set at $100,000. He currently faces charges of kidnapping and taking a hostage.

In a related development, investigators say the boy’s mother, Shavon Williams, was uncooperative during the investigation and hindered law enforcement’s efforts to locate her son.

She is currently being held on a probation violation, though no charges have been filed against her in connection with the abduction at this time.

Police have also taken two other individuals into custody in connection with the case: a 38-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy.

Their names have not yet been publicly released. The investigation remains ongoing.