A Virginia man faces prison for beating his 12-year-old autistic stepson because he was eating bread in bed.
Casey Mobley, 35, pleaded guilty to child abuse in March. The sentencing guidelines called for six months in jail, but a judge sentenced Mobley to two years in prison followed by three years on probation, Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip “Bucky” Blevins said in a press release.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 14, 2023, when Mobley discovered the boy eating bread in bed.
“Mobley cursed while he struck and beat his victim in the buttocks and face – an attack that lasted approximately 30 seconds and was recorded on closed-circuit television,” read the release.
Blevins argued during sentencing that the Virginia sentencing guidelines, which called for only six months in prison, were “out of touch” and argued for more time. The judge apparently agreed.
“Casey Mobley is a monster who beat a child without mercy,” Blevins told the crowd. “The young man was vulnerable, innocent, and deserved love and protection, not violence. Mobley’s actions are inexcusable and unconscionable.
Let this be a message to anyone who wants to harm a child: we will find you, prosecute you, and seek justice for our victims. My office is determined to hold child abusers accountable. I appreciate Judge Campbell’s decision to go above and beyond the guidelines, as well as the support of the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office.”
Smyth County is located in the southwest of the state, just north of the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
