FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — A 27-year-old Oak Hill man was convicted Friday of kidnapping and second degree sexual assault.
Jamie Criser was found guilty on both counts following a two day trial.
“He faces a minimum of 20 to 50 years for the kidnapping and then a minimum of 10 to 20 years for the second degree sexual assault,” Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Harrah said. “It’s my office’s intent to argue that those be served consecutively.”
Harrah said the charges stem from an incident that occurred on March 11, 2016.
“It’s an interesting case in that he contacted a former girlfriend of his,” Harrah said. “He needed a ride in the early morning hours of March 11, 2016, and she picked him up. He actually held her against her will at that point, and he sexually assaulted her.”
Harrah said that Criser threatened to kill the female victim if she did not comply with his demands.
“Eventually she was forced to comply with his demands, and then she took him to a place to drop him off and contacted law enforcement after that,” he said.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Fayette County Magistrate Court, the victim’s infant child was in the car at the time of the incident.
“It was investigated by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department’s Det. Sizemore and Det. Pack,” Harrah said. “Both of those individuals did a great job investigating this case and need to be commended for that.”
The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brian Parsons and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Campbell.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 11.