LOUDON COUNTY: Teen Boy Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Classmate in a School Bathroom; Media No Longer Refers to Boy as 'Trans'

Source: WUSA9

Published: October 26, 2021

By: Laura Wainman, Nicole DiAntonio

Students and staff from multiple schools across the county participated in a "walk out" in protest of how the county handled the reporting of the assault.

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Editor's Note: WUSA9 has chosen not to name the family of the victim referenced in this article to protect the privacy of a sexual assault victim.

A Loudoun County judge has ruled against a 15-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate in a school bathroom back in May, according to the county prosecutor. 

According to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, detectives were made aware by school officials of an assault at Stone Bridge High School on May 28. On July 8, a teenager, who was 14 at the time, was arrested and charged with forcible sodomy.

"The judge determined the evidence presented was sufficient for a finding of guilt on both counts," said Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney Buta Biberaj. 

The ruling is the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty charge.

Biberaj said the teen remains in detention, but his sentencing was continued pending the trial of a second alleged sexual assault -- which occurred in October at a different Loudoun County school -- in which he's been charged. 

On Oct. 6, a female student at Broad Run High School told a Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer she had been forced into a classroom, held against her will and inappropriately touched, according to LCSO detectives. A 15-year-old was arrested and charged with sexual battery and abduction on Oct. 7. 

 "At the conclusion of both matters, the court will determine what is the appropriate sentence for the juvenile," Biberaj said. 

The law group representing the victim's family posted a statement to Facebook following the ruling, saying they were relieved and grateful for that outcome in court.

"No one should have to endure what this family has endured, and now their focus is completely upon their daughter's health and safety as she progresses forward with her life," the statement said. "The [victim] is a survivor, and a fighter, and we are confident that she will grow even stronger with each passing day."

The day after the verdict was handed down, students and staff from multiple schools in Loudoun County participated in a "walk out" in protest of how the county handled the reporting of the assault. In a post circulating on social media, organizers said the walkout was to "show solidarity to victims of sexual violence and demand safety in our schools."

WUSA9 reporter Nicole D'Antonio was at Stone Bridge High School during the walk out, where she said she witnessed a small group of several dozen students gathering outside the school around 10 a.m. Several were wearing white and many held signs to voice their support for assault victims. SKY9 captured footage from additional walk outs at LCPS schools, including Loudoun County High Schools, Briar Woods High School and Lightridge High School. 

An LCPS spokesperson told D'Antonio that the walk out was planned by parents in the district, not the students. 

Read more at: WUSA9.com

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