FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WVNS) — A Fayette County woman was sentenced to prison on Thursday, November 3, 2022 after she pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual assault.
According to the Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Jessica Keener (Truman), 28, formerly of Gauley Bridge was sentenced to a mandatory prison sentence of one to five years by Judge Thomas H. Ewing. She originally entered a guilty plea on July 21, 2022.
Court documents stated on October 13, 2020, a detective with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau met with a 13-year-old and their father to investigate allegations that Keener had sexually assaulted the minor. During an interview at Just for Kids Child Advocacy Center, the minor advised they met Keener through a mutual acquaintance.
The 13-year-old told investigators that Keener worked at a local hotel as a housekeeper. The child said Keener took them with her to work one day. When they were at the hotel, Keener used the keys she got from her employer to access a room. Once the two were inside the hotel room, the defendant engaged in sexual intercourse with the child.
Keener must serve at least one year of her prison sentence before she is eligible for parole. She was also sentenced to 15 years of supervised probation following her release from prison. Keener must also register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life.
The sentence handed down by Judge Ewing was the maximum sentence allowable under the West Virginia Code.