Berkeley County man arrested on charges of sex abuse of girl, 4

May 16, 2008|By MATTHEW UMSTEAD

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Berkeley County man was jailed Thursday on three felony counts of sexual abuse by a parent or guardian and a charge of failing to register as a convicted child abuser less than a month after being sentenced in another case involving a child, according to court records.

The man's name is not being released because of his relationship with the victim, a 4-year-old girl.

The defendant remained in jail Thursday night on a $160,000 cash-only bond set by Magistrate JoAnn Overington, according to court records.

A complaint filed with the court by West Virginia State Police Sgt. D.E. Boober states the alleged contact occurred April 20.

Little more than two weeks before, the defendant entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor count of battery to resolve a February indictment charging him with four felony counts of incest and four felony counts of first-degree sexual assault, according to circuit court records.

In that case, the defendant was accused of having sexual contact with an 11-year-old girl during three months in 2007, according to the indictment filed in circuit court.

In an April 4 sentencing hearing, the defendant was ordered to pay court costs and was credited for time served in jail, according to a conviction and sentencing order entered by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gray Silver III on April 8. The victim and her mother also were granted a protective order from the defendant for six months.

According to Silver's order, the assistant prosecuting attorney handling the case told the court that the victim approved of the proposed plea agreement.

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