Powhatan employee accused of five counts of child sex crimes granted bond

POWHATAN COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A Powhatan County employee charged with five counts of child sex crimes has been granted bond following a hearing Friday morning.

Bond granted, with conditions

In the morning on Friday, Sept. 12, 37-year-old James Babcock, who served as the county's emergency management coordinator and faces five counts of indecent acts with a child in a custodial role, was granted a $10,000 secured bond by Judge Joseph Teefey.

The conditions of his bond are that he is prohibited from contacting the survivor or witnesses, and he cannot leave Virginia.

Babcock will reportedly live with a friend who was present in court on Friday.

Defense's claims

When vying for Babcock's bond to be granted, the defense argued that Babcock is a lifelong resident with strong ties to the community, and that the survivor waited eight years to report their experience.

His attorney said Babcock has a history of depression and anxiety, and during the investigation, he went to Tennessee to receive treatment at a facility. Babcock's attorney further said he was in Tennessee when the charges were filed, which is why he was considered a fugitive, but he left treatment to turn himself in.

The defense claimed that the survivor was 16 or 17 at the time of the alleged incidents, and is now 25.

In addition, Babcock's attorney argued that he is not a flight risk due to friends and family being local residents.

Claims by the Commonwealth's Attorney

The Commonwealth's Attorney said the survivor was 15 when the two met, which allegedly occurred when Babcock responded to a mental health call for the victim.

The prosecution further argued that Babcock and the survivor formed a relationship after the call, and Babcock would allegedly sleep in the same bed as the victim.

The Commonwealth's Attorney claimed that the sexual relationship began between Babcock and the survivor on their 16th birthday, and eventually, Babcock allegedly took over as the parental guardian, ensuring the survivor went to school, among other responsibilities.

It was also claimed by the prosecution that Babcock arranged for sexual acts to take place with himself, another adult and the survivor when the survivor was 16.

The Commonwealth's Attorney claimed that the five counts are a "gross underrepresentation" of the additional crimes Babcock allegedly committed over their relationship.

The prosecution also noted that Babcock was in an occupation where he had access to children.

In addition, the Commonwealth's Attorney expressed concern about the risk of communication between Babcock and the survivor, though there is no evidence that such communication has occurred.

Background

Babcock's charges stem from alleged incidents that occurred in March 2017, while he was working in emergency services for the county. He became the county's Emergency Management Coordinator in 2023, according to a post on the county’s Facebook page.

Powhatan County provided 8News with the following statement regarding Babcock’s employment after the charges came to light:

“Mr. Babcock is no longer performing duties for the County," said a Powhatan County spokesperson. "He was placed on unpaid administrative leave as soon as we were made aware of the pending indictment."

As of the time of reporting, Tom Berry remains Interim Emergency Management Coordinator on the county website.