Trigger Warning: Child Sexual Abuse

Man Sentenced to 40 Years After Pleading Guilty to 7 Sex Abuse Felonies Against Norfolk Child

NORFOLK, Va. — Jamal D’Angelo Jackson, 35, was sentenced in July to serve 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to committing seven felony child sexual abuse offenses in Norfolk between 2019 and 2020 against a child who was less than 10 years old. Mr. Jackson’s plea agreement included facts from cases against Mr. Jackson in Maryland and Washington D.C. for similar crimes he committed between 2015-2017 and in 2020.

Mr. Jackson met the Norfolk victim’s family in Maryland in 2013. Mr. Jackson became a close family friend and lived with the family on and off through July 2020. The victim reported Mr. Jackson’s abuse in a forensic interview with police in October 2020. After Mr. Jackson was arrested in Maryland for his charges pending there, he was extradited to Norfolk in January 2022.

Norfolk investigators charged Mr. Jackson with one count of aggravated sexual battery of a child, two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, and one count of sodomy of a child. In December 2022, the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office secured direct indictments from a grand jury against Mr. Jackson for three additional counts of sodomy of a child after the victim shared more instances of Mr. Jackson’s abuse.

On Oct. 29, 2024, Mr. Jackson entered an agreement to plead guilty to his seven charges. In exchange for Mr. Jackson’s guilty pleas in Norfolk, which included the facts from his other pending charges, state prosecutors in Maryland and federal prosecutors in Washington D.C. agreed to dismiss those pending charges. Judge David W. Lannetti accepted Mr. Jackson’s plea agreement, in which there was no agreement to his sentence and which carried the possibility of life in prison.

At Mr. Jackson’s sentencing on Friday, the Commonwealth argued for Mr. Jackson to serve no less than 40 years in prison, and his defense counsel argued for a sentence closer to the low-end of his sentencing guidelines, which suggested a minimum active sentence of 17 years and three months. After hearing the arguments, Judge Lannetti sentenced Mr. Jackson to serve 40 years in prison and suspended another 80 years in prison on the conditions that Mr. Jackson complete psychosexual treatments while in custody, complete 10 years of uniform good behavior following his release, complete an indeterminate period of supervised probation during that time, have no contact with the victim and victim’s family, and register as a sex offender.

“Mr. Jackson abused two children in three jurisdictions, and for his terrible crimes against these survivors, he will spend most if not all of the rest of his life in prison,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I express my gratitude to the survivors for their strength in bringing Mr. Jackson to justice, and I know that they will show further strength in their healing process. I also express my gratitude to the prosecutors and law-enforcement officers in Washington and Maryland, helped us take the lead and press for a sentence that fit all of Mr. Jackson’s crimes. We will continue to protect the community from individuals who would take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie G. Johnson and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys George M. Afentakis and Abigail L. Ottinger prosecuted Mr. Jackson’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective Darren B. O’Connor led the investigation.

If you and/or someone you love are a victim of a crime — including but not limited to sexual abuse — resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376, or stop by the NFJC located at 835 Glenrock Road, Suite 100, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.

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Nov. 1, 2024

Trigger Warning: Child Sexual Abuse

Man Pleads Guilty to 7 Child Sex Abuse Felonies for Assaulting Norfolk Child

NORFOLK, Va. — Jamal D’Angelo Jackson, 35, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to seven felony child sexual abuse offenses that he committed in Norfolk between 2019 and 2020 against a child who was less than 10 years old at the time. Mr. Jackson’s plea agreement included facts from cases against Mr. Jackson in Maryland and Washington D.C. for similar crimes he committed between 2015-2017 and in 2020.

Mr. Jackson met the Norfolk victim’s family in Maryland in 2013. Mr. Jackson became a close family friend and lived with the family on and off through July 2020. The victim reported Mr. Jackson’s abuse in a forensic interview with police in October 2020. After Mr. Jackson was arrested in Maryland for his charges pending there, he was extradited to Norfolk in January 2022.

Norfolk investigators charged Mr. Jackson with one count of aggravated sexual battery of a child, two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, and one count of sodomy of a child. In December 2022, the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office secured direct indictments from a grand jury against Mr. Jackson for three additional counts of sodomy of a child after the victim opened up about more instances of Mr. Jackson’s abuse.

On Tuesday, Mr. Jackson entered an agreement to plead guilty to his seven charges. In exchange for Mr. Jackson’s guilty pleas in Norfolk, which included the facts from his other pending charges, state prosecutors in Maryland and federal prosecutors in Washington D.C. have agreed to dismiss those pending charges. Judge David W. Lannetti accepted Mr. Jackson’s plea agreement, in which there is no agreement to his sentence, and will hear arguments for Mr. Jackson’s sentence on Jan. 10, 2025.

“Mr. Jackson abused the innocence of a child for his own gratification, and he abused the trust of the child’s family by pretending to be someone there to help, not harm,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Jackson’s guilty plea here is the product of teamwork among three jurisdictions, and the sentence that we seek in Norfolk will reflect the gravity of Mr. Jackson’s crimes as a whole.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Stephanie G. Johnson, George M. Afentakis, and Abigail L. Ottinger are prosecuting Mr. Jackson’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective Darren B. O’Connor led the investigation.

If you have or someone you love has fallen victim to crime, including but not limited to child abuse, resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376 or stop by the NFJC inside the Park Place Multi-Services Center at 606 W. 29th St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.

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