West Virginia
West Virginia man sentenced to life for rape, child pornography charges
Dalton Ramsey is being charged with with rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault with a weapon, and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime. (Coweta County Sheriff’s Office)
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. – A 31-year-old West Virginia man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including rape, kidnapping, and possession of child pornography.
SEE ALSO: App, alligator leads to rape suspect’s arrest, investigators say
What we know:
Dalton Allen Ramsey, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, took a plea deal on Monday in the Superior Court of Coweta County, just before his trial was set to begin.
Ramsey pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault, one count of possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, and one count of sexual exploitation of children. Senior Superior Court Judge Matthew Simmons presided over the case and ordered Ramsey to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years, as mandated by Georgia law.
The backstory:
The charges stem from an incident on Sep. 5, 2022, when Ramsey began communicating with a 17-year-old victim via social media. The following day, he traveled from Buckhannon to Columbus, Georgia, under the pretense of helping the victim travel out of state. Instead, Ramsey drove her to the BT Brown Reservoir in Coweta County, where he strangled, bound, and raped her at knifepoint.
A sign outside of B.T. Brown Reservoir Park warns about alligators. (FOX 5)
After the assault, Ramsey attempted to drive the victim northbound against her will. However, the victim managed to text emergency personnel, leading law enforcement to locate and stop Ramsey’s vehicle in Habersham County. Deputies arrested Ramsey and seized knives, tape, rope, and other evidence from the vehicle.
Further investigation revealed child sexual abuse videos and images on Ramsey’s phone, including communications requesting “rape porn” prior to the kidnapping. The disturbing content included videos of child rape.
What they’re saying:
District Attorney John Herbert Cranford, Jr. commented on the case, stating, “Dalton Ramsey is an example of the evil and depravity that exists in communities throughout Georgia and the United States where sexual predators create and distribute child pornography. By acting on his sick fantasies, Ramsey’s case demonstrates why the policy of the Coweta Circuit is that every possessor of child pornography should be sent to prison and forced to register as a sex offender for life. I am relieved for this victim and what would have been Ramsey’s future victims that he will now spend at least the next 30 years in a Georgia prison.”
Coweta County deputies say surveillance images show the vehicle of a rape suspect. (Coweta County Sheriff’s Office)
What you can do:
The arrest was facilitated by the victim’s use of a smartphone app called Noonlight, which allowed her to send a distress signal and share her location with authorities. An alligator warning sign at the reservoir helped confirm the location of the crime, leading to charges against Ramsey.
The Source: The Coweta County District Attorney’s Office provided the update to this story. Additional details were sourced from previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports.
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West Virginia
Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va – Charleston is celebrating Juneteenth with its annual parade, followed by a celebration in Slack Plaza featuring live entertainment, food, educational exhibits, and more.
The parade stepped off from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center at 11:30 on Friday with a long line of organizations participating and several community members recognized as “Mr. and Miss Juneteenth.” Smiles dotted the procession as organizers watched a community come together.
“It’s just a wonderful thing when we can bring the community together to celebrate freedom, and here in West Virginia, we’ve had some challenges because they’ve said that Juneteenth is not a state holiday, but our people are still celebrating,” parade chairperson Karen Williams said.
The parade marked the start of an entire day recognizing the history of Juneteenth, the emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people when the Union Army arrived at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. With the last stronghold of slavery in the Confederate States eradicated that day, June 19 came to be celebrated as a second independence day, and President Joe Biden established it as a national holiday in 2021.
In West Virginia, former Gov. Jim Justice was the first to declare a state holiday and did so in each of his last four years in office. Gov. Patrick Morrisey recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation on Friday but has not declared a state holiday in 2025 or 2026.
“Representation really matters, so seeing Black queens and Black kings roaming the streets of Charleston is a beautiful thing, and it’s a needed thing. I think there’s a lot more people that aren’t going to celebrate Juneteenth than people that are, so I think it’s really important that we continue to celebrate this holiday and show why it’s important,” Miss Juneteenth Adult Keyarna Frederick said.
Different groups from around the Kanawha Valley came out to participate from businesses and youth organizations to political committees and arts collectives. Williams believes that shows that Juneteenth is a day for the entire community to celebrate.
“Appalachian people have always grown up and lived together, and what we want—we want people to continue that. We want people to continue to be together. We’re not saying this is a Black event or a white event. We welcome all people to come and participate,” she said.
The parade route echoed her sentiment as nearly everyone who joined the parade shared handshakes, high-fives, and hugs. That spirit of togetherness spoke to the day’s honorees as well.
“It’s definitely something that we should all be celebrating. It’s for all of us, not just for a certain color or a certain kind. It’s for all of us, so I believe everyone should be celebrating this day,” Mr. Juneteenth Adult Edward Frederick said.
“This is my first time in the parade. It’s so beautiful. It’s so amazing to see different organizations a part of the parade, seeing how much muscle has went into even doing something like this, so I think it’s a beautiful thing for Charleston,” Keyarna Frederick added.
From the parade to the activities in Slack Plaza, the day’s organizers sought to create an environment to celebrate Juneteenth with a spirit of unity. Williams hopes that anyone that joined or watched felt that along the way.
“I want them to see that we are Almost Heaven, West Virginia; that we are celebrating freedom; and that we are a community that embraces one another,” she said.
BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – We have a traffic alert for drivers in the Danville area of Boone County.
Starting on Friday, they should expect delays as crew perform work on the Jill Micah Hess Bridge along U.S. 119.
According to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, northbound traffic will be shifted from the slow lane to the fast lane.
This will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and drivers are asked to expect delays.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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