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Millboro man pleads guilty to sexual assault
BY MARGO OXENDINE • STAFF WRITER
WARM SPRINGS - A Millboro man pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a juvenile in Bath County Circuit Court last Friday.
John A. Mills, 45, pleaded to a lesser charge from the one issued in his indictment by a grand jury last month. The initial charge, aggravated sexual battery of a juvenile, was a felony; the amended charge to which Mills pleaded guilty is a misdemeanor.
Judge Humes Franklin accepted Mills's plea, pronounced him guilty, and sentenced him to 12 months in jail, suspended, and unsupervised probation.
Mills's former wife, Cheryl, asked to be heard by the court. She took the stand and told Franklin, "While I do agree with his plea, and understand why he made it, I don't think he has any semblance of understand- ing of what his actions have done to my children."
Bath Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Singleton offered evidence that, while the exact date of the offense is uncertain, it occurred sometime during 2006. It was not until late September 2007, however, that the victim, a 10-year-old girl, told Mrs. Mills of the incident.
"The victim made allegations that Mr. Mills had inappropriately touched her," Singleton said. Virginia State Police investigated the allegations, and found them believable; police also found that "the behavior terminated in late 2006, or early 2007," Singleton told the court.
He described Mills' actions as "kissing, touching, all of which were done outside the clothing. There was some touching in the crotch area and the victim said he put her hand in his crotch area. The mother found them kissing at one point, and brought a stop to that."
Cheryl Mills said she and her children have had to move away from Millboro.
Looking at her former husband, she said in a shaking voice, "Our hopes, our dreams, everything, was apparently a lie. You have betrayed our trust. You planned, schemed and manipulated to violate this child's innocence. All we did was love you, and I don't understand why you did this. I trusted you and you betrayed that, in the very worst way. You have torn our lives apart the kids are in counseling twice a week."
The mother asked Franklin to include in Mills' sentence "some sort of counseling that he would have to undergo. He is a seriously ill person," she added.
As a parting comment, she noted, "I found your magazines in the attic, John," adding, "It is not only this court you have to answer to, but you have to answer to the Lord, too."
Franklin commended Mrs. Mills. "Too often, the court sees a situation where the spouse doesn't really believe" such allegations by a child, he said. "You should be proud of yourself for supporting her, and take this as some source of solace."
John Mills made no statement, and his attorney, Dabney Pasco Jr., offered no evidence in his behalf.
In addition to the 12 months suspended sentence and unsupervised probation, Franklin ordered Mills to register as a sex offender with Virginia State Police. This program, part of the National Sex Offender Public Registry, can be found online at www.sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov. A link can also be found on the Virginia State Police website, www.vsp.state.va.us. Photographs, addresses and convictions of offenders can be viewed by county or zip code.
The judge warned Mills to "pay strict attention" to the registry rules and regulations. "Believe me, the state police monitor that, and the responsibility for it rests solely on your shoulders."
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