Man acquitted of rape charge in Accomack

By Linda Cicoira

A Melfa man was acquitted Tuesday in Accomack Circuit Court of forcibly raping a 14-year-old girl in 2018.

It took a 12-member jury about 75 minutes to find 36-six-year-old Adam Watkins not guilty.  

The Salisbury, Md. girl is now 17. She was staying with Watkins, and his wife, for the summer to babysit for their young son while they were at work. One day in August, she and the child were alone with Watkins. The girl contended that the defendant picked her up and carried her over his shoulder to a bedroom upstairs where he raped her.     His wife said her paranoia from drug abuse caused her to be jealous of the girl. During a fight, she admitted her husband said he tried to have sex with the girl. But the woman insisted he only said it to hurt her.

“I was more scared than anything,” the girl said. “I didn’t know what to do. I just wanted it to be over,” she recounted. She didn’t tell anyone about the incident until more than a year later.

“She didn’t want to have sex with him,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan told the jury. “Ladies and gentleman that’s rape – plain and simple,” he said.

Watkins pleaded not guilty. He did not take the witness stand, but previously told police that the girl made up the story. Defense lawyer Diane Toscano, of Virginia Beach, compared the drama to a “Jerry Springer Show” episode.

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