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Child Molester Loses Bid to Go on Elementary School Property |
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Release Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009 5:15 p.m. Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced that on Thursday, April 2, 2009 a Registered Violent Sex Offender was thwarted in her attempt to get a Judge’s approval to attend school functions at Providence Elementary School.
The 38 year old woman had been convicted in Chesapeake in 2003 of the charge of Rape of a Child less than thirteen years old. As a result of that conviction she is statutorily prohibited from going upon the premises of public or private schools. The statute permits a Court, upon a showing of good cause, to make exceptions to this prohibition.
The 38 year old Sex Offender filed a petition in the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court asking permission to enter and be present on the premises of Providence Elementary School. She has a child attending that school. At the February hearing on her petition, the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the City Attorney jointly opposed the petition. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judge partially granted the petition, allowing the Sex Offender to go onto the school premises to drop off and pick up her child. The Judge further allowed the Sex Offender to attend parent-teacher meetings, but required that the school to provide an escort for her.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney appealed the Juvenile Court’s ruling. At today’s hearing of that appeal in Circuit Court, the Offender asked the Court for permission to go into the school to drop off and pick up her child, and to attend teacher conferences and other classroom activities. The Commonwealth’s Attorney and the City Attorney jointly presented testimony and argued against the granting of the petition. At the conclusion of the hearing Judge Patricia L. West ruled that the Offender could not attend teacher conferences in person, but could do so only by teleconference. The Judge
further ruled that the Offender could not attend classroom activities. On the issue of picking up/dropping off the child, the Judge (at the suggestion of the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the City Attorney) ruled that the Offender could drive the child to the school and drop her off, but the Offender is prohibited from leaving the vehicle.
“I will continue to take the action necessary to protect our schools and the children who attend them and to give parents and teachers peace of mind in this regard” Bryant said.
The case was handled by Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney David W. Laird. Please call Amanda Herman if additional information is desired. |
