photo by: Shelley Hanson

New Martinsville resident Joseph Ward is handcuffed after receiving a two-year prison sentence for sex crimes against children Wednesday in Wetzel County Circuit Court.

Joseph Ward, the New Martinsville man accused of sex crimes against children, was sentenced to two years in prison during a hearing Wednesday before Wetzel County Circuit Court Judge Richard Wilson.

Ward took an Alford plea, which is a plea that acknowledges there is enough evidence for one to be convicted, but still allows him to deny guilt.

The agreement called for Ward to plead to one count of “use of a minor in filming sexually explicit conduct” and one count of “distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.”

On the first count, Ward received a two-year prison sentence. On the second count, Ward received a five-year prison sentence that was suspended and replaced with two years of probation after he gets out of prison on the first count.

After being released from prison, Ward will also have an additional 15 years of extended supervised release to be overseen by the Wetzel County Probation Office. This means he will have a total of 17 years of supervised probation after he is released from prison and wear a GPS ankle monitor. Ward must also register with the West Virginia State Police as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Ward must not have any contact with children including the victims in the case. He cannot own firearms or use electronic devices.

As part of the plea, Marshall County Prosecutor Joseph Canestraro, special prosecutor on the case, asked that two other counts be dismissed. Wilson agreed.

There were a total of five victims in this case; four minors and one who is now an adult. Prior to the sentencing, two mothers with children who were victims in the case spoke to the court. They said their daughters are suffering, scared and not the same people before they were abused. Both mothers said they had daughters who were in counseling and receiving medications, but having thoughts of suicide.

Both women said they wanted a longer prison sentence imposed on Ward.

“She isn’t the same. … I feel like I failed her,” the first mother said. “I’ve spent multiple nights up with her crying. All she wants is justice. … I’m afraid of what she’ll do.”

The second mother said both of her daughters were abused by Ward.

“It’s a struggle daily. I have one daughter who is very suicidal. She isn’t the same. She blames herself. I feel two years isn’t enough. … He took their innocence,” the second mother said.

Canestraro said while some may believe the Alford plea should not have happened, he said there were some “holes” in some witnesses’ testimony. He was prepared to go to trial; however, Ward’s lawyers called the night before the trial was to begin last month and said he wanted to do a plea deal.

Before making his final judgment, Wilson said both the defense and prosecution had more knowledge than anyone in the case, besides the victims and Ward. The plea may not be what some people wanted, but it was a fair one. He added he was not going to be swayed by people who were protesting outside the courthouse or on social media.

After being handed down the sentence, Ward was handcuffed immediately and taken to the Northern Regional Jail to begin his sentence. Outside, protesters were waiting for him. Some realized he was taken out a back door and ran to meet him and yell at him.