THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 1997 TAG: 9701070212
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 87 lines
Jon C. Bush, who used a vampire role-playing game to entice underage girls into having sex with him, was sentenced to 26 years in prison on Monday by a Circuit Court judge who described the crimes as ``some of the most disgusting offenses that I have had to address.''
Just before announcing the sentence, Judge Alan E. Rosenblatt called Bush ``every parent's worst nightmare.''
But Rosenblatt also heaped blame on the parents of the victims, claiming that their permissive approach to child-rearing and lax attitude to discipline contributed to the crimes.
``These offenses would have been harder (to commit) if the parents of all of those children knew what their children were doing,'' Rosen-blatt said. ``The message is that parents have to get involved and stay involved with their children.''
Bush was convicted on Sept. 10 of 30 sex-related charges - 22 felonies and eight misdemeanors - against eight underage girls: Nine counts of crimes against nature; nine counts of carnal knowledge; two counts of attempted carnal knowledge; two counts of taking indecent liberties with children; and eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Although the charges carry a maximum penalty of more than 180 years, state sentencing guidelines suggest a prison sentence of about 10 years, said public defender Lynndolyn T. Mitchell, who served as Bush's attorney.
But the sentencing guidelines, Rosenblatt told Bush, ``do not begin, in my opinion, to reflect the misery you have inflicted on any number of people, beginning with the victims.''
In his ruling, Rosenblatt actually sentenced Bush to 43 years in prison but suspended 17 years.
Bush claimed that he has repented and found salvation in religion.
He read a prepared statement to the judge, claiming that he committed the offenses while walking ``in the paths of the dark'' under ``the image of the vampire.''
``I know I have committed several sins and that God has already forgiven me for them,'' Bush said.
Those crimes occurred mostly during late 1995 and early 1996, when Bush used a game called ``The Masquerade'' to initiate young girls into his make-believe family of ``vampires.''
Bush, an air-conditioning technician who lived in Virginia Beach with his mother, told the girls he was the ``elder'' vampire in the role-playing game and claimed to have special powers, such as ESP and mind-control.
Initiation into the game usually required that the girls engage in one of a variety of sexual activities with Bush, including intercourse and oral sex.
After bringing them into his group, Bush persuaded the girls to introduce him to their friends, especially those who were ``loose'' and having difficulties with their families. Prosecutors maintained that Bush was looking for girls who would be easy targets for his sexual advances.
Sometimes, according to testimony during his September trial, Bush intimidated the girls into having sex with him through threats against both the girls and their families.
But on Monday, two teen-age boys, who said they were members of Bush's vampire family, testified that the girls were never forced by Bush to do anything against their will. Threats were a part of the game, the boys said, but were not to be taken seriously.
Jarrod Givens testified that the vampire game included an activity called ``killing,'' but that it was only a name for a way of getting out of the game.
``They would never actually physically die,'' Givens said.
Mitchell, Bush's lawyer, claimed the girls participated willingly in the vampire group and were encouraged to exaggerate the sexual aspects of the case by zealous police investigators.
On Monday, Mitchell cited other vampire cults across the country and claimed the vampire game ``appears to be a trend nationwide these days.''
Mitchell said that Bush ``was sincere and productive before he got caught in this role-playing game.''
Bush also suffers from a personality disorder that led to his discharge from the Navy several years ago.
But prosecutor Mike Moore said that Bush is simply anti-social and used the vampire game as a method for sexual gratification with young women.
``If Mr. Bush were released tomorrow he would go right back to molesting young girls,'' Moore said. ``He would simply find another construct by which he could engage in sexual activity with as many young girls as possible.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Jon C. Bush used a vampire role-playing game to entice underage
girls into having sex with him, and was sentenced Monday to 26 years
in prison.
Circuit Judge Alan E. Rosenblatt called Bush ``every parent's worst
nightmare'' - and then blamed the victims' parents for their
permissiveness and lax discipline.
KEYWORDS: VAMPIRE SEX CRIME SENTENCING CARNAL KNOWLEDGE