Trigger Warning: Child Sexual Abuse

Man Sentenced to 37 Years Following Jury Convictions for Sexually Abusing Child Relative in 2022

NORFOLK, Va. — Anthony James Harris, 58, was sentenced on Oct. 24 to serve 37 years in prison after a jury convicted him in August of three felony child sexual abuse charges and one related misdemeanor charge for sodomizing and molesting his 11-year-old relative in 2022. The victim’s younger sibling witnessed Mr. Harris’s abuse and informed their mother, who called the police. Both children testified to their experiences at Mr. Harris’s jury trial.

According to their testimony, Mr. Harris forced the victim to perform oral sex on him in the living room of the children’s house in August 2022. Meanwhile, the victim’s younger sibling walked into the next room and saw what was happening. When Mr. Harris realized that the younger sibling was watching, he zipped his pants and told the younger sibling, “You didn’t see what you think you saw.”

Within the following year, in July 2023, the younger sibling told their mother what Mr. Harris had done, and their mother called Norfolk Police. Child-abuse experts sat down with the two children for forensic interviews, and the victim confirmed during those interviews that Mr. Harris had sodomized and otherwise molested her. Based on their investigation, the police charged Mr. Harris with one felony count of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13, one felony count of taking indecent liberties with a child by their custodian, one felony count of forcible sodomy of a victim under the age of 13, and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Mr. Harris was previously convicted in Norfolk of rape and first-degree murder in 1990 and received a 40-year sentence. He was on parole and registered as a sex offender at the time of the 2022 offenses.

Mr. Harris pleaded not guilty to his charges and requested a trial by jury. After hearing the evidence in a two-day trial and deliberating for more than four hours on Aug. 19, the jury found Mr. Harris guilty as charged of the three felonies and guilty of one count of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The second charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (which pertained to the victim’s sibling) was dismissed before deliberations began. Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise, who presided over the jury trial, set Mr. Harris’s sentencing hearing on Oct. 24.

On Friday, the Commonwealth argued that Mr. Harris took advantage of the vulnerable child — who was known to have mental disabilities before the sexual abuse began — and asked for a 40-year active sentence, which was above Mr. Harris’s state sentencing guidelines. Mr. Harris’s defense counsel noted that Mr. Harris’s age should be taken into consideration and that he maintains his innocence. Mr. Harris chose to speak at the time of allocution but continued to maintain his innocence, although he did acknowledge his guilt from his prior rape and murder case.

After hearing the sentencing arguments, Judge LeCruise sentenced Mr. Harris to serve 37 years in prison and suspended another 14 years on the conditions that Mr. Harris complete five years of supervised probation and good behavior, have no contact with minors, and re-register as a sex offender following his release from prison. Mr. Harris’s active sentence is near the high-end of his sentencing guidelines.

“Sexually abusing children is one of the most serious crimes one can commit, damaging a child’s trust and requiring years of therapy to allow the child to move on with life,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “For the safety of the community, Mr. Harris will now almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Keith M. Proctor and Tiffany A. Peters prosecuted Mr. Harris’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective LaRue D. Wilkins led the investigation.

If you and/or someone you love are a victim of a crime — including but not limited to sexual abuse — resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376, or stop by the NFJC located at 835 Glenrock Road, Suite 100, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.

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