Sex charges net sentence of 25 years to life

CHILLICOTHE — A South Walnut Street man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after changing his plea to sex charges Thursday.

James E. Graves Jr., of 78 S. Walnut St., was charged with four first-degree felony counts of rape and four third-degree felony counts of gross sexual imposition. He was scheduled for a Sept. 9 trial, but withdrew his not guilty plea this week and entered the guilty plea to charges contained in the indictment.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors made a motion that was granted by the court to amend the indictment removing language identifying the victim as younger than 10 years of age in the four rape counts. The amendment was necessary to secure the change of plea, said assistant prosecutor Cindy Schumaker, with the support of family members who did not want to put the victim through the stresses of a trial.

Had the language remained as it was in the original indictment, it would have carried with it under sentencing guidelines no possibility for parole. With the language change identifying the victim as younger than 13, the defendant agreed to the plea deal.

There were four instances of the sexual conduct that took place between May 1, 2014, and March 24, 2015, accounting to the four counts each of rape and gross sexual imposition.

After acceptance of the plea, Graves was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison on the four rape counts, with the sentences on the first two counts to be served concurrently and the third and fourth counts concurrent with each other but with the sentence on the first two rape counts and the last two rape counts served consecutively.

He also was sentenced to three years in prison on the first two gross sexual imposition counts concurrent to each other but consecutive to the other counts, and two years on the final two counts served concurrent with each other but consecutive to all other sentences.

All told, that makes his sentence 25 years to life, and he was classified as a Tier III sex offender requiring lifetime reporting to authorities every 90 days upon any release from prison.

In resolution of another case Thursday, Margaret N. Cory, of 42 Bowman Road, received three years community control and 45 days in the Ross County Jail when sentenced on a grand theft charge.

Cory was accused in the theft of more than $27,000 from Kingston United Methodist Church during an eight-year stint keeping the books for the church. In order to receive the sentence, Cory was required to pay the $27,210.80 in restitution to the church, undergo theft and debt counseling, do 200 hours of community service within eight months of release from the jail, send a letter of apology to the members of the church within 60 days and pay court costs. Failure to live up to the sentence could result in imposition of a seven month prison sentence.