Campbell Jury Recommends 6 Years for Ex-youth Pastor Convicted of Soliciting Minor

By Christopher Cole
News & Advance
November 2, 2016

http://www.newsadvance.com/townnews/law/update-jury-calls-for-six-year-sentence-for-ex-youth/article_67308f1c-a142-11e6-9e69-bffb68e54777.html


A Campbell County jury found a former youth pastor guilty Wednesday of electronic solicitation and indecent liberties with a child.

Jurors called for a total of six years in prison for Major Lance Hillman, 23, of Lynchburg, after convicting him on two felony counts in a day-long trial.

Prosecutors sought a maximum prison sentence of 40 years for Hillman, with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jason Todd calling him “predatory.”

It took the jury of eight women and four men about 45 minutes to return guilty verdicts on both counts.

Hillman was charged in January after a Campbell County Sheriff’s Office investigation late last year. According to evidence at trial, Hillman, then a 22-year-old youth pastor, became a counselor last fall to a 14-year-old, eighth-grade girl at Thomas Terrace Baptist Church in the Concord area.

He later admitted to using the message app Snapchat to communicate with the girl, over time exchanging sexually explicit texts, photos and videos. He later told investigators it was an attempt at therapy for the girl, who had sought his help with self-esteem issues arising from an earlier sexual assault.

The relationship was cut short when the victim’s father read her diary and contacted authorities. A grand jury indicted Hillman in January.

Todd said early in the trial the case centered on the trust the victim placed in Hillman. “It’s about an abuse of that trust,” he said.

The girl appeared in court under subpoena — with Todd telling jurors she did want to testify — and verified numerous photos extracted from Hillman’s iPad matched images he had sent her.

Hillman’s defense lawyers tried to have the iPad photos stricken from evidence, saying there was no way to validate them as the same ones sent to the girl over Snapchat. Judge John Cook ruled them admissible based on the girl’s testimony.

Todd also emphasized Hillman’s cellphone, allegedly used to send images over the message service, had been wiped remotely of data before investigators could analyze it.

Defense attorney Cam Warren argued before the guilty verdict the commonwealth had failed to prove all the required elements of the charges.

For example, he said, Hillman could be heard in a recording seemingly unsure if the girl was 15 or 14 years old. One element of the case is knowing or having reason to believe the victim is younger than 15, he said.

Later, after his client was found guilty, Warren urged lenience, calling Hillman’s mother and brother to the stand to testify the charges were not in his character.

He also sharply criticized Todd’s call for a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, noting the short time span of the charges and Hillman’s otherwise good record. “We’re talking three weeks out of 23 years, Warren said. “He’s not a predator.”

The jury’s sentencing recommendation — reached after a half hour of deliberations — was the minimum five years on electronic solicitation and one year on indecent liberties.

In setting the actual sentence in coming months, the Circuit Court judge also could decide to run the prison terms concurrently, leading to less time behind bars.

In January, the court will set a sentencing date. Later the judge either can affirm the jury recommendation or reduce Hillman’s sentence.