Former teacher sentenced in molestation case

Former teacher to spend a year in jail for sexual assaults

BY ELLEN BILTZ

Date published: 11/11/2008

BY ELLEN BILTZ

The former Fredericksburg Christian School teacher who pleaded guilty in July to aggravated sexual battery, will spend 12 months in jail.

Thomas G. Best, 53, was sentenced by Spotsylvania Circuit Judge David H. Beck to a total of 45 years on three charges, but 44 of those years were suspended.

Beck told Best that the decision came after hearing from witnesses about how remorseful Best is for his actions.

Beck said he also took into consideration the minimal risk that a counselor said Best was of being a re-offending sexual predator.

"He has shown an indication of a high degree of remorse," said David Heeb-ner, an expert in sex-offender treatment who evaluated Best.

Heebner added that Best was in the lowest range of recidivism for sex offenders.

Best pleaded guilty July 9 to indecent liberties and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of the woman, who is now 23 years old. He admitted to inappropriately touching her for more than six years.

Best's defense attorney, Mark Murphy, asked Beck to consider the counseling his client already completed as well as his desire to rehabilitate himself.

"He doesn't sugarcoat what he was doing to her," Murphy said.

The woman, who was not one of Best's students, testified yesterday that she has been mentally scarred by the abuse.

"It has been going on most of my life," the woman said about Best molesting her.

She told Beck that she has trust issues and has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals. She added that she did not want Best to be able to hurt anyone else.

Best's pastor and friend, Don Taylor, told the court that he believed Best was truly remorseful and forthcoming with details of the abuse.

"Tom was extremely transparent and accepted responsibility," Taylor said of Best's confessions in church group sessions before his conviction. "He continues to be extremely repentant."

Prosecutor Amy Harper, who asked the court for sentence of "a significant amount of time," told Beck that while Best has been honest regarding his actions and the years of abuse, his honesty came only after the woman reported the abuse.

She said statements Best made in letters and a journal show that his intentions were to rape the woman.

"He was gearing her up to have sex with him," Harper said of the increasing fondling he did of the woman before she reported the incidents.

As part of his sentence, Best was ordered to complete full counseling with Heebner after his release. He will also pay for the woman's counseling through a trust fund he offered to set up and will be on probation for the rest of his life.

"I appreciate how difficult this must have been for you," Best said to Beck after the sentence was announced. "I promise to live up to all of the standards."

Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Email: ebiltz@freelancestar.com

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Date published: 11/11/2008