Ridings Gets 40-Year Sentence
WHEELING-Joshua Ridings will spend 40 years in federal prison -and strict supervision if he should ever be released- for the Feb. 20 abduction and rape of an 11-year-old girl in North Wheeling.
Ridings appeared in federal court for sentencing today before U. S. District Judge Frederick Stamp after pleading guilty on Oct. 15 to federal charges related to the abduction and rape of the child. He admitted taking her from Wheeling across state lines to Belmont County, where he sexually assaulted her on the grounds of a church near St. Clairsville before returning her to a Bridgeport neighborhood.
In addition to the jail time, Stamp imposed rigid conditions of supervised release in the event Ridings is released after 40 years.
Stamp ordered Ridings to participate in prison mental health programs for treatment and medication if necessary and to participate in any sexual offender programs available.
In the event of release, Ridings will be supervised for life and must submit to lie detector tests and unannounced searches by probation authorities. There are no parole opportunities on the federal charges.
He also can never live in the same residence with a child under the age of 18 years and never visit schools, daycare centers, playgrounds or any other place where children may be present.
Prior to imposing sentence, Stamp listened to victim impact statements from two people. The statements were made in the judge's conference room and attended only by the victims, attorneys and Ridings.
The Wheeling girl made a statement as did another victim from a pending out-of state case involving Ridings.
Stamp said the 480 months sentence is the result of a binding plea agreement between U. S. Attorney Sharon Potter's office and court appointed attorney Brendan Leary. The judge said federal sentencing guidelines, under an non-binding plea agreement, called for a sentence of 360 to 405 months.
Members of Ridings' family attended the sentencing hearing but quickly left the courtroom when it was over.
The Wheeling girl's mother said simply "justice was done."
|
PCGS70
|
|
|---|---|
|
01-12-09 10:41 PM
|
Goodbye you dork. Have a happy life in prison. Go there and stay there. The little girls are no longer an option for you. What in the world were you thinking? You are a sick man. Please figure it all out and get back to us so the doctor can treat someone else who hasn't gone all out crazy like you. Tell the truth.
|
|
acousticportal
|
|
|
01-12-09 4:35 PM
|
And then there's Christ Mullet in Belmont County - less than half a year.
|
|
nicetry
|
|
|
01-12-09 2:59 PM
|
May he get what he has given to others, while he serves his time
|
|
Christina75
|
|
|
01-12-09 2:16 PM
|
This is an absolutely fitting sentence, justice was served. Now if we can only do this across the board and not just with some cases. We need sentence uniformity!
|