BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — A man from Kentucky entered a guilty plea after he allegedly traveled from Kentucky to West Virginia to engage in sexual activities with two underage girls.
According to court documents, on July 18, 2022, Richard L. Barksdale, 69, of Goshen, Kentucky, contacted an individual he found online. He allegedly believed the person was a single mother of two girls, ages 11 and 13, in Beckley, West Virginia.
Barksdale admitted that he began chatting with the woman in phone calls and text messages, telling the woman that he wanted to have sex with both of her daughters. He then further admitted that he discussed ways to avoid the girls from getting pregnant, such as birth control pills.
He allegedly arranged to rent a hotel room in Beckley where he would meet the two girls to have sex with them. He brought gift cards and candy to make them feel more comfortable.
On September 11, 2022, Barksdale traveled from his Kentucky home to the Beckley hotel, where he was immediately arrested.
According to court documents, Barksdale pleaded guilty to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He must also register as a sex offender.
