Man pleads no contest in child abuse case in Accomack Circuit Court Thursday

By Linda Cicoira

A 22-year-old Guatemalan National pleaded no contest Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court to sexually abusing a child last April who was younger than 13 years old.     

With a no-contest plea, a defendant accepts punishment but doesn’t admit guilt.  Jairon Fredy Morales, of Parksley, entered the plea in an agreement with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney William Fox. A charge of forcible sodomy of a child less than 13 was not prosecuted in accordance with the agreement.

A Spanish interpreter was provided for Morales, who was also aided by his lawyer Isabel Kaldenbach who is fluent in the language.     

The maximum punishment for sexual abuse is 20 years in prison plus a fine of $100,000. Sentencing was set for Nov. 30. Judge W. Revell Lewis III accepted the agreement and ordered a short-form presentence report and a psychosexual evaluation.

The agreement allowed the victim, a six-year-old girl, to avoid testifying.