Guilty plea entered, bond denied in another case
Two men accused of internet crimes against children — Scott Hale and Sanjay Sugay — appeared in two separate cases in Rappahannock County Circuit Court Monday.
Scott Hale of Washington entered into a plea deal with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, pleading guilty to all charges he was accused of — one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation and facilitation of child pornography.
Hale would serve two years of active jail time, with 13 more years suspended, if the judge accepts the plea agreement at sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 9 to allow time for a presentence investigation to be performed.
Hale, 35, was arrested in February after an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce operation uncovered multiple pornographic files and images linked to his IP address, according to court records. More files were later discovered by law enforcement on his computer hard drive.
Strasburg man denied bail on soliciting charges
Sanjay N. Sugay, who was charged with two counts of use of communication systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children and one count of attempted indecent liberties with a child, was denied bail at a bond appeal hearing Monday despite his wife’s requests for his release to help care for their two young children, ages three and nine months old.
Sugay, 41, of Strasburg, was arrested in June after an undercover ICAC Taskforce operation revealed that he was attempting to solicit minors online “for sexual purposes,” according to a press release from the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office.
Sugay’s wife took the stand advocating for his release on bail so that he could stay at home with their two young children while she is working full time. Sugay lost his job due to his incarceration, and paying for child care is now much harder for the family, according to Sugay’s lawyer, Howard Manheimer.
“We’re asking that his confinement be switched from RSW to his home to take care of his children,” Manheimer said. “This will make things easier for the family.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Goff said he “obviously” opposed his release on bail.
Goff went over the events leading up to Sugay’s arrest, asking Sugay’s wife if she was aware that Sugay was corresponding with whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl, traveled to Rappahannock to meet with the girl in the Sugay family vehicle, stopping to purchase contraceptives on the way, to which she replied she was unaware at the time.
Goff asked how she planned to ensure that Sugay would not get on the internet and solicit another minor, to which she did not immediately respond. “It would be a pretty hard task, wouldn’t it,” Goff said.
“My heart honestly does go out to [his wife], but we’re talking about someone traveling to have sex with a minor child,” Goff told Judge James P. Fisher.
Manheimer told the judge that they were willing to submit to full house arrest or an ankle monitor if needed, and his wife said she would be willing to disconnect the home internet. Manheimer stated that Sugay has no prior criminal history and would be “under a microscope” upon release.
Fisher said that based on the “weight of the evidence” he heard, he “concur[s] with the commonwealth,” and denied bail.
Sugay will face a grand jury in September.
Ireland Hayes is a reporter for Foothills Forum, a nonprofit organization that supports local news in Rappahannock County.
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