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RUSTBURG — A Lynchburg man is facing two dozen charges he molested a child after a grand jury meeting in Campbell County on Monday.
Joseph Charles Russell, 26, of Nelson Street was arrested on June 2 and initially charged with two counts of forcible sodomy of a child under the age of 13.
According to Campbell County Circuit Court records, Russell is now set for trial in January on a total of 24 counts, one for each month between January 2007 and December 2008.
Capt. L.T. Guthrie of the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office said in June that the child reported the abuse to an adult, which sparked the investigation. Russell has been jailed without bond since then, he said
“The additional charges are part and parcel of that investigation,” Guthrie said. “They are representative of the time span. It had been an ongoing situation.”
Russell is scheduled for trial on Jan. 21. If convicted, forcible sodomy carries a penalty of five years to life in prison.
In cases like this one, where the defendant is more than three years older than the victim, the law also requires the judge to impose a 40-year suspended sentence subject to revocation for the life of the defendant if he is found guilty.
Reader Reactions
Yes, perhaps some of the comments are because people know the man and know that he made bad choices. BUT, what God has forgiven our great nation won’t. Two years is a lie….the media knows NOTHING…..these are not fact. People should be measured by their contributions to this world and given second chances. With everything I believe and trust…this is indeed one of those circumstances.
There is help, it’s called counseling.
I think what people fail to realize is that just like drugs and alcohol, sex and all the things that go along with it no matter how perverse they seem to others, can be a serious addiction. The sad thing is that there is no AA for sex addicts or people in Joseph’s siuation. If he told someone his struggle he would have been looked at as an “animal” as someone already called him. Since he can’t get help, he has to keep it inside bottled up. Of course its going to rear its ugly head at some point. So why isn’t there help for people with this struggle?
I do not have him condemned. I just didn’t like what you said. You’re a counselor, but you can’t spell it? Uh, okay?
I think you all are miss reading what I said, you hav him condemed and there has not been a trial. I am not saying anything about prostution, I am saying parantal knowledege for something going on for two years. I know there are signs in children being abused i am a counciller. Yes I know he committed a grave crime, but let each of cast the first stone. I think we need to look at all the circumstances for we judge, that is all I am saying.
Scooner posed the question how could this have happened for so long without consent or parental control. Children under 13 cannot give consent. And parents cannot prostitute out their children by giving consent for them. You mentioned the accused’s education, but that doesn’t make him above the law. Sorry, this is clearly someone you care for but it’s a crime nontheless.
I wish each of us would take one moment and stop, pray and then comment. I am sure we would not judge if we did that. God ask us to leave the judgeing to him, pray for one another. This man, yes he made a grave mistake, I am so glad I am being judged by God and not man nor women.
So let each of us stop! question our motives for judging. How could this go on in a place for that long with out some kind of consent, or parental control? Think about it folks. There is more here then we know, so I ask let God Judge this and the courts. This is a well educated person who weakened and now needs each of us AND PROFFESSIONAL HELP, to pray for both of these people, lets not be so fast to point fingers remember when you point out 4 other fingers are pointing back—- Pray for the lawyers and the Judge for their LEINENCY AND UNDERSTANDING. AS WE PRAY—- Peace
Until you have walked a mile in ANYONES shoes…do not judge!!!! We are supposed to be this great nation but what God has forgiven, Virginia won’t. What defines this young man is so much more than one demon. I hope whoever describes him as an animal never has anyone fall off the beaten path in their own family.
To me I think it is said that this has happened but I think it’s even sadder and evil for someone to classify this man as an animal. No one knows the whole story and you judge just by what a news article says. Does everyone just believe what they read? For all anyone knows he isn’t guilty. Number one we should be praying that the truth is revealed and number two that this man is helped for this addiction he has. Also we need to be praying for the child that was involved that he/she does not suffer long term damage and is able to have a healthy adulthood. We all judge to quickly on sistuations we know nothing about. So let him without sin cast the first stone.
Please, please…let’s show animals like this that CVA is not the place for them. We need to show “no tolerance” to them. I know there is NO place for them but the reality is, they exist, so do communities that do not tolerate such crimes against their children. We need to be one of them.
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