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[ex3abnemployee]

I received information a short time ago that a plea agreement has been reached in the Tommy Shelton sexual abuse cases currently pending in Virginia. According to sources, Tommy Ray Shelton will appear in court on Monday, July 19 in Fairfax County, Virginia and plead guilty to two counts of Custodial Indecent Liberties with two minors. Under the terms of this agreement, he will face no prison time but will be required to register as a sex offender, and will also receive probation for a length of time to be determined by the court.

To be clear, this will be two pleas of guilty, rather that pleas of no contest. Tommy Shelton will at long last be admitting that he did, in fact, commit the crimes he has been charged with. These are felony charges.

This will bring some closure, at least, to nearly 40 years of scandal and allegations surrounding Shelton's ministry, which has affected numerous victims over the years. It will be interesting to see the responses from those who have so vehemently defended him, while threatening, intimidating and slandering his victims.

[scratsmom]

A guilty plea rather than a guilty verdict...sounds like he didn't want to play the odds...
Yes, waiting to see how they spin it...
Scratsmom

[Emma]

Is this the best outcome possible for all concerned?  An older man with (I gather) health problems
admits guilt but is not incarcerated, and the victims' wrongs are acknowledged.

[Gregory]

This is right on target for which many had expected.

The Grand Jury clearly did not believe that there was suficient evidence to obtain a conviction on the charges first brought to them.  So, they reduced the charges.

This saves the victims from a trail that would not have been fun and required them to relive the events of years ago.

With the passage of time and the age and health of TS a jury just might have been sympathetic and if convicting given him a reduced sentence.

A primary prosecution goal is reached by registration as a sex offender.

TS has a period of time during which he is required to meet probation requirements.

 

NOTE: The above comments all assume that the report of the plea bargain is accurate and that TS actually follows through.

[Adam]

This is right on target for which many had expected.

The Grand Jury clearly did not believe that there was suficient evidence to obtain a conviction on the charges first brought to them.  So, they reduced the charges.

This saves the victims from a trail that would not have been fun and required them to relive the events of years ago.

With the passage of time and the age and health of TS a jury just might have been sympathetic and if convicting given him a reduced sentence.

A primary prosecution goal is reached by registration as a sex offender.

TS has a period of time during which he is required to meet probation requirements.

 

NOTE: The above comments all assume that the report of the plea bargain is accurate and that TS actually follows through.

Can you prove that?

[Bob Pickle]

Gregory, the Grand Jury didn't reduce the charges at all, from what I understand.

[Artiste]

So the Grand Jury did not reduce any of the charges brought by the victims, and Tommy Shelton pleaded guilty as a child molester. He registers as a sex offender and goes on probation.

[waitingforjustice]

I was thrilled to find out that this man is finally being brought to justice.

[Snoopy]

Sounds like you have a vested interest in these cases.  By the way, welcome to AdventTalk, waitingforjustice!

I was thrilled to find out that this man is finally being brought to justice.

[Gregory]

Samuel Thomas:


I read it in a newspaper account of the Grand Jury.  No, I do not have that account before me now.  Yes, the media sometimes gets it wrong.  So, can I prove it?   No.

[Adam]

Gregory:

My understanding is that these things was changed at the preliminary hearing, and had nothing to do with the grand jury. 

[ex3abnemployee]

Gregory:

My understanding is that these things was changed at the preliminary hearing, and had nothing to do with the grand jury. 

That is what I had heard as well.

[Bob Pickle]

The charges were changed at the preliminary hearing so that the charges fit the crimes alleged by the alleged victims, not because of a lack of evidence, from what I understand.

Just think: After July 19 we won't have to keep saying "alleged" in order to try to avoid a defamation lawsuit.

[Gregory]

It apears that you are correct.  Here is the newspaper account:

Shelton, 64, was the pastor of Community Church of God at 2500 Gallows Rd. in the Dunn Loring area from 1995 to 2000. Police said two men came forward in 2008 and alleged that Shelton had sexually assaulted them when they were boys. Shelton, now living in Marion, Ky., was arrested in March and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of indecent liberties with a minor and sodomy.

In a preliminary hearing Thursday in Fairfax Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Fairfax prosecutors significantly reduced the charges against Shelton. Fairfax Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Katherine E. Stott reduced the sodomy charge, which carried a minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison, to carnal knowledge, which has a range of two to 10 years in prison. Subsequent testimony by the complaining witness did not fit the sodomy charge.

I was wrong in attributing the reduction in charges to the Grand Jury.

However, I stil stand-by the major thesis of my previous post.

Thank you for correcting my error in stating it was the Grand Jury.

[Adam]

Thank you, Gregory.