Mercer man found guilty of sexually abusing three children

Sept. 26--PRINCETON -- A Mercer County man is looking at the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty Wednesday on multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual abuse involving three children less than 12 years old.

Jesse James Collins, 35, was indicted in October 2017 by the Mercer County Grand Jury on charges including first-degree sexual assault, first-degree sexual abuse, sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, and incest.

Those offenses were reported to have occurred between January 2009 and March 2017.

Prosecuting Attorney George Sitler said if Collins is sentenced on all charges and they run consecutively, the sentence would be 240 to 850 years in the penitentiary.

When the trial started Tuesday in Mercer County Circuit Judge Mark Wills' courtroom, the jury heard recordings including one that Sgt. M.D. Clemons with the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit made on July 20, 2017, after receiving reports about Collins sexually assaulting and abusing three children. He had relocated to another county at that time and no longer lived with his family. During the conversation, Clemons spoke to him about the allegations.

"I feel terrible for what I've done," Collins said in the recording, later adding, "I just feel terrible...I was messed with when I was a kid."

Collins told Clemons that an adult male, one of his family's neighbors, molested him when he was about 5 years old, but he was too scared to tell anybody about the abuse.

Two of the children testified during the trial, and Sitler said later that their recollections "were very compelling." The jury also listened to a total of three recorded confessions.

During closing arguments Wednesday morning after Wills had instructed the jury on their responsibilities, Assistant Prosecutor Malorie Morgan told the jury that during the course of the trial's two days they had seen "a lot of evidence" and heard two confessions as well as the testimony of two of the young victims.

"They lived a nightmare for years but had the courage to be in front of you," she said, describing some of the graphic details of what the children said they endured.

Morgan countered a defense argument about a lack of DNA by saying by the time the charges were brought it was too late for any DNA evidence to be gathered and Collins and their mother had split up.

She also said the defense's argument that the confessions were the result of pressure from Collins' ex-wife "makes no sense."

"Find him guilty on all counts," she said.

Defense attorney Sidney Bell told the jury the confessions were not enough to convict, that the state still had the burden of proof from the evidence.

He said not enough evidence was presented, and also that Collins did not have to testify, but he did.

Bell described Collins as a "meek, mild-mannered person" who was under the influence of his ex-wife and went back to her even after she "beat on him, left him," and ran around with other men.

"We don't even know if these children were ever examined to see if they were victims of sexual abuse," he said. "There is no physical evidence ... they didn't want to testify against their daddy ... you have to doubt the version they gave about what happened."

Bell said Collins was "going along with whatever she (his ex-wife) wanted to do."

"The government has not proved its case," he said. "He did not molest these children."

Morgan countered by saying the girls did not want to testify because "they were terrified to be in the same room with Mr. Collins."

She also said Collins kept going back to his wife "to abuse the children."

"We have proved our case beyond a reasonable doubt."

The jury took less than an hour Wednesday to deliver its verdict.

Collins was found guilty of six counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor under the age of 12. Each count carries a possible sentence of 25 to 100 years in prison.

The jury also returned guilty verdicts on three counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12, each with a possible sentence of 5 to 25 years in prison. In addition, Collins was found guilty of eight counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, each carrying a possible sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison, Sitler said. In addition, Collins was found guilty of five counts of incest, each with a possible 1 to 5 year sentence.

Sitler said the verdicts carry an "effective life sentence."

Sitler also said Morgan handled most of the prosecution. He offered special thanks to the investigating officer, Sgt. Steve Sommers of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department, and Clemons for their work on the case.

Collins will have to undergo a sexual offender evaluation before he is sentenced in late November, Sitler said. Wills remanded Collins back to the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver where he has been held on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com. Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

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