ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010045
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
A judge this week convicted a Botetourt County man of the 1985 sexual battery of three brothers left in his care by their parents.
``I think [the judge] deliberated about five seconds,'' said Dirk Padgett, assistant commonwealth's attorney in Bedford, adding that the three brothers gave very compelling testimony. Padgett, former assistant prosecutor in Botetourt, served as a special prosecutor because newly elected Botetourt Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom was not familiar with the case.
Circuit Judge George E. Honts III convicted Scofield Rufus St.Clair, in his 60s, of three counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of attempted sexual battery, Padgett said. Honts threw out two charges that St.Clair sodomized two of the brothers.
Padgett said the boys were 14, 12 and 10 years old in 1985. They were staying with St.Clair because of family problems, Padgett said.
The brother who was 12 tried to come forward in 1990 with his experiences with St.Clair, Padgett said, but because St.Clair was a family friend and the other brothers denied the claims, the matter was dropped. The same brother brought charges again last year on the advice of his therapist.
St.Clair, who recently had heart surgery, is free on $7,500 bond, but is scheduled to be sentenced April 11. Padgett said St.Clair could receive up to 70 years in prison.
LENGTH: Short : 33 linesby CNB