Former Liberty University professor sentenced on sex charge

A former Liberty University professor convicted of aggravated sexual battery of one of his students was sentenced to a 180-day jail term Friday in Lynchburg Circuit Court.

The woman, now 22, testified in a June hearing that she was taking a spring-semester statistics course from professor Joshua Young Moon. The woman said she suffered chronic pain from a car crash and that Moon had sometimes given her pressure-point massages to relieve her pain.

But during an April 21 meeting in Moon’s office, she testified earlier, she fell asleep during one of the massages and awoke to find him touching her inappropriately.

The woman, who lives in Pennsylvania, testified Friday that she is fearful of being alone with men, even a doctor, or on the job as a lifeguard. She said she felt exposed and violated by the court process.

“It has been really hard to make it through each day,” she said.

Before being sentenced, Moon apologized to the woman, her family and his family and friends.

Moon’s wife offered tearful testimony on his behalf during the hearing, saying she was still proud of him. She staggered when trying to return to her seat and had to be helped by a deputy.

Moon, 45, of Durham, N.C., said he did not intend to hurt the woman, and asked for forgiveness. He said his only hope now would be to live the rest of his life as a useful member of society.

“I wish I could go back and do things differently,” he said.

Randy Trost, Moon’s lawyer, told Judge Mosby Perrow that Moon was “socially naive and sexually inexperienced,” and that he wrongly interpreted the woman allowing the massages and extraordinary help he gave her on exams in the course as welcoming his behavior.

Trost said two psychological evaluations found Moon was not likely to be a sex offender in the future or a sexual predator.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Rebecca Wetzel argued that Moon was a predator and that he used his influence to do the same thing to two other women present in the courtroom Friday.

“This defendant is a minister … and held a position of trust and authority at Liberty University,” she said.

Wetzel said Moon’s computer held images of bondage and massage pornography and that he had used the computer in his office at Liberty University to view the images.

“The defendant took advantage of the fact he had a sleeping woman in his office to act out a pornographic act,” she said.

She said Moon admitted his actions to police.

Perrow sentenced Moon to a total of five years, but suspended all but 180 days in jail. He has been jailed since Jan. 22, when he pleaded guilty.

Moon was ordered to serve two more years of supervised probation, undergo sex offender treatment and not to have contact with the victim or children other than his family members. He must register as a sex offender and pay for the woman’s counseling.

Perrow said he was troubled by Moon’s explanation for his behavior because he saw it as trying to shift blame or to share blame with the victim for leading him on.

“If I could give you five years for what you’ve done to your wife, I would give you five years for that, too,” the judge said.