Release Date: Monday, December 21, 2009 4:05 p.m.
Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that William Edwards, Jr., 32 years old, residing in the 3800 block of Chancery Lane, Virginia Beach, Virginia, was sentenced today by Circuit Court Judge Padrick, on one count of Aggravated Sexual Battery, one count of Indecent Liberties, and one count of Forcible Sodomy. Judge Padrick ordered the defendant to serve a total of thirty-five (35) years in the Virginia Department of Corrections. All but twelve (12) years and six (6) months of that sentence were suspended conditioned upon good behavior for thirty-five (35) years, indefinite supervised probation, sex offender treatment and payment of all court costs.
Had the case gone to trial, the Commonwealth’s evidence would have proved that on Friday, March 20, 2009, the 8-year-old victim spent the night with a friend and fell asleep while watching television in the parents’ bedroom. Edwards, the father of the victim’s friend, was watching the children that night. When the children fell asleep, he took his daughter to her bed and returned to his bedroom and began to fondle and sodomize the victim. When Edwards realized that the victim was awake, he sent the victim to his daughter’s bedroom. The victim disclosed the details of that night to her mother on the following Sunday. Upon the defendant’s arrest, he confessed that he had fondled and sodomized the victim.
The defendant had no prior criminal record.
The case was prosecuted by Associate Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael D. Defricke. Please call Julie Pickell at (757) 385-8545, if additional information is desired.
Similar Press Releases: aggravted sexual battery, forcible sodomy, Harvey Bryant, indecent liberties, sex offender
