William Michale Hayden (born June 24, 1965)[1] is a former American gunsmith, television personality, Former U.S. Marine, former gun shop owner, and convicted child sex offender.
[3] Hayden also stated that he was abused by his father in a piece titled Sons of Guns: Straight-Shootin' Stories from the Star of the Hit Discovery Series.
He says in the article, "Hell, he put me through a wall with a punch when I was five... From that moment on I realized I had to pick my battles carefully.
After returning home from the service, Hayden started his own construction and refrigeration business, while working on guns on the side.
The firm's first commercial order was from a large distributor called Manotick Firearms for twenty rifles.
[2] From 2011 until 2014, Hayden received nationwide fame when Sons of Guns - a reality TV program focusing on the specialized firearm builds at Red Jacket - aired on Discovery Channel.
[7] Hayden's daughter Stephanie and former son-in-law Kris Ford also appeared on the show as well as working at Red Jacket.
Hayden claimed that the allegations were false and made in retaliation by a vengeful ex-girlfriend, the 12-year-old girl's mother.