Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9412010117
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
James Lee Campbell, a 51-year-old truck driver, pleaded no contest to charges of raping and sodomizing the girl the afternoon of March 26 at his Northeast Roanoke home.
The victim has told authorities that Campbell sexually abused her regularly since she was 4 years old, said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Greg Phillips.
But under a plea agreement reached Wednesday in Roanoke Circuit Court, prosecutors agreed not to file additional charges against Campbell for earlier offenses involving the girl, who was a family acquaintance.
Authorities also agreed not to file charges against Campbell in connection with the alleged sexual assault of another woman nearly 20 years ago.
In summarizing the evidence, Phillips read from a statement written by the victim.
The girl wrote that on the day of the attack, Campbell waited until they were alone in the house and then forced her to a bedroom.
"He grabbed me and threw me on the bed," she wrote.
After ordering the girl to remove her clothes, Campbell raped and sodomized her, then forced her to perform oral sex.
"I was scared and didn't know what to do," the girl wrote. "I was so scared; I felt like killing him."
The girl did not put up much resistance because she had been raped so many times before by Campbell, Phillips said.
"Her will was overborne," he said. "She was intimidated and scared."
After the attack, the girl wrote, Campbell told her: "If you tell anybody, I'll kill you - I promise."
At first, the girl apparently did not intend to report the offense, Phillips said.
But a friend in whom she confided later went to a school counselor, and police were notified. A grand jury that met in September indicted Campbell on seven charges of rape, aggravated sexual battery, sodomy and sexual abuse.
Four of those charges were dropped Wednesday as part of the plea agreement. Assistant Public Defender Eric Frith said Campbell was not admitting guilt, but decided to plead no contest "because of his understanding of the risks of litigation."
Had the case gone to trial, Campbell would have faced a maximum punishment of three life terms in prison. When asked if he was willing to accept the plea agreement and 30 years, Campbell replied, "I guess so."
``You're guessing the next 30 years of your life,'' Circuit Judge Clifford Weckstein said, pushing Campbell for a more definite response.
Campbell then said he was sure, and a few minutes later sheriff's deputies led him away to begin serving his time.
by CNB