A Ruckersville pastor accused of multiple child sex crimes learned he and the state have different interpretations of “house arrest” on Monday.
Rodney Martin Locklear, 48, was in Greene County Circuit Court Monday for violating the terms of his bond agreement after making multiple trips to McDonald’s and coffee shop drive-thrus while under house arrest awaiting his March trial.
“This is a joint misunderstanding,” Brooke Howard, Locklear’s attorney, told the court.
Howard claimed that Locklear was told the Global Positioning System, or GPS, monitoring him would allow him to go to work, run errands and even grab fast food without issue. Locklear never intended to violate his bond agreement, Howard said.
“The GPS tracking system informed Locklear he could travel through a drive-thru, but I disagree with that stance,” Greene County Commonwealth’s Attorney Win Consolvo told the court. “Mr. Locklear needs to go straight home after work. He should not be stopping at McDonald’s or getting coffee anywhere.”
While Consolvo and Howard agreed Locklear should be able to stop to grab gas when needed, Judge David Barredo sided with Consolvo when it came to Locklear’s other travel.
“Mr. Locklear, you should be making a straight shot with no stopping. You can’t run errands,” Barredo said.
Locklear was arrested Feb. 1 after a grand jury indicted him on charges of aggravated sexual battery of a minor, abduction with intent to defile a minor, indecent acts with a minor and other charges alleged by a teenage victim. The alleged sexual assaults occurred May 5 of last year at Locklear’s residence as well as the now-closed Victory Church, where he was pastor.
The assaults occurred over multiple hours during a Cinco de Mayo celebration held at Victory Church, the victim alleges. The party began at church near the intersection of state Routes 29 and 33 in Ruckersville. But Locklear and multiple teenagers later left the church for his residence, where the first alleged assault occurred.
Locklear reportedly approached the young girl in his house, pushed her against the kitchen counter and inappropriately touched her against her wishes. Even though she protested and told him to stop, Locklear continued touching her without her consent while she repeatedly told him to stop, according to court documents.
The assault continued until Locklear heard someone coming up the stairs, the victim alleges.
The youth group and Locklear returned to the church later in the day to continue the Cinco de Mayo party. The alleged victim and others from the group planned to go together to a Wendy’s across the parking lot from the church. “She [the victim] went back inside to get her wallet. While alone in the church, she went to the bathroom and she heard someone’s keys lock the door,” according to court documents.
Alone together again, Locklear proceeded to assault the young girl a second time, she alleges.
“Locklear pushed her against the wall and began touching her. She refused again and told him to stop,” according to court documents.
Locklear has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Locklear had been ministering in the Greene County area for more than a decade prior to his February arrest. He served as pastor at Victory Church for six years before his arrest and the church’s closure. Before that, he attended and preached at Solid Rock Full Gospel Church in Barboursville, 5 miles away from Victory Church. He and his wife, Becky Morris Locklear, also founded Abundant Life Pentecostal Outreach Church in Ruckersville in 2012.
Locklear and his wife also served in the gospel singing group Restoration, which toured in the 2000s throughout Central Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia.
Locklear’s trial begins March 17 of next year in Greene County Circuit Court.
If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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