Five Arrested in Connection With Sexual Assualt in Kanawha County

State Police arrested five Kanawha County residents after an investigation involving a 13-year-old girl allegedly being sexually assaulted and photographed.

[INFORMED]

I have lived in Clendenin most of my life and have known 3 of the individuals involved. I don't think it was malicous what was done, I don't think they meant to hurt anyone....OTHER than Mr. Mitchell. I have seen him in town with very YOUNG girls for years now. I have seen him with girls that were under 16 years old piled up in his red FORD truck and his old truck too! It's disgusting and it's about time that PERVE got caught...It's sad it took this long because it's hard to tell how many young girls he has been involved with over the years!!!!!!!!!!

As far as Donald Taylor, the girl stated she had sex with him on more than one occasion. I know the age of consent and all that bull, BUT the girl was out with this boy more than once.... I think her parents or whoever she lives with that is supposed to watch her should get in trouble to for letting her out of the house at 14 years old to hang out with a 20 year old. Granted he should have been careful about what he was doing and with who....But she should have never been allowed out with him. Neglegience on his part, her part and the girls parents/guardians!!!!

Josh Barnes..... He was there. That was his mistake. He was there. Do you know that if someone is in your car and they have drugs on them, and YOU DON'T KNOW IT..... and you get pulled over.....You can be fined for it....Because according to police "YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT GOES ON OR COMES INTO YOUR VEHICLE">>>>
That's the case here. He may/may not have known what was going on...... But he was in the house. So that's what he did wrong........He was there.

It's a shame that some of these people are not bad people but are involved.
But TOMMY MITCHELL should be put in prison because he's been involved in this kind of bull more than just this time....
ASK AROUND..........

[Really Informed]

It is Clendenin. Everybody hangs out with everybody. When I was young, I lived in Clendenin and I never pretended to be older than what I was and I hung out with all of those boys (my parents always knew about it and they could trust me) and nobody ever messed with me. You know why? Because I wasn't a little girl pretending to be a grown up. Just because he's been seen with young girls does not mean that he's messing around with them. Most parents I know, myself included would trust him around our children. He's a good guy, not a pervert/weirdo that the media is trying to make him out to be. And, he's a terrific dad. He would do anything in the world for anybody. I had a job in Clendenin when I was 16 and Tommy used to offer to take me home from work when he was in the neighborhood. My mom never had a problem with that because she knew he could be trusted and he never once came onto me. Instead of spreading vicious lies without any sort of proof, you should keep your mouth shut. I think the media is blowing this thing up out of propotion enough already without some Clendenin gossiper starting more crap. All people do in Clendenin is talk crap about one another. If you thought something was going on all of this time, why didn't you turn him in? That sort of makes you an accessory if you had all of this knowledgable information and didn't say anything to anyone. Tommy didn't sleep with that girl, the other guy did. If anything, Tommy is the one that is a victim of circumstance.

[INFORMED]

OK, since you know him so well, you yourself know that he hangs out with young girls. I never said he DID anything with the girls. And it's not my job to turn someone in for HANGING with the young girls....All I was saying was that he HAS always hung out with YOUNG GIRLS...... and who wouldn't think that he was sleeping with them????????? He's around them all the time. WHAT IS A 30 YEAR OLD DOING WITH 13 AND 14 YR. OLDS?????????? Nothing good, I can tell you that. I don't care what you think, I KNOW HIM TOO! And since you yourself was one of the girls who hung out with him when you were underage...... that makes it even worse for you to comment. I am not an accessory to anything....... The parents of these children who allow them to go with MEN are.....Dont' get it twisted....AND ANOTHER THING.....WHERE DO YOU SUPPOSE THIS CRAP HAPPENED...... hmmmmm....PROBABLY NOT IN A TRAILOR UP REAMER - Leatherwood.......... Now that would make him a sicko for letting this type of behavior go in his house, now wouldn't it.

You can say what you want, many law-abiding, tax paying citizens have seen this MAN with young girls for years, now this happens with him around........whether he's the one who had sex with her or not doesn't matter. HE's 30 years old. He's supposed to be responsible.

Tommy may be a good day, may be a good person. May have done alot of stuff for the community, may work for a fire department and be a volunteer for another. May have had a hard time the last couple of years.......
That's no excuse for being involved in something like this. All but 2 of the 6 (including the girl) people involved were under the age of 21. There was alcohol involved.

MHHHH! Why would a good daddy, good person, community activist, fire fighter be around this stuff??????????
Not including the fact that on his MYSPACE page there are pictures of some of the people involved as well as other underage girls and guys drinking WITH HIS DAUGHTER AROUND. You can say, think, preach want you want....His ACTIONS speak WAY LOUDER than your WORDS or even his WORDS!!!!!!!!!!

[Really Informed]

He knows all of these young girls because he is involved with the community and when the Dawg Pound (Old Smoke Shop) was opened, he was always there to make sure everyone stayed safe while they were waiting for their parents to come and get them. If he was some sort of weirdo pervert, don't you think that he would've been accused of something before now? My sister was one of these girls that looks up to him and was there at the Dawg Pound. If anything happened, my sister would've been the first one to say something.
And, for your information, I was 16 and Tommy was just getting out of high school (still considered overage) and I went to high school with him. There are far worse people out Leatherwood....not naming names, but there are, that have been accused of messing with kids and they weren't treated half as bad by the media as what Tommy's been. People automatically think the worst of people. Hell, half of the young girls that you are talking about him hanging out with are either related to him or he knows their parents and looks out for them because some of the parents could care less about them.
It is not against the law for someone underage to hang out with an adult. Regardless of how people in Clendenin talk, it doesn't change things. In my opinion, adult supervision is better than none at all. Tommy not only hangs out with girls as you claim, but he also hangs out with boys. He also hangs out with people my grandparents' ages and my parents' ages. I hang out with people of all ages too. Doesn't mean I'm sleeping with everyone that I hang out with?

[Really Informed]

I know where this happened and I know the circumstances behind it, so no need to insinuate that I don't know anything. It wasn't like he invited her personally. She showed up with someone else. Tommy doesn't even drink hardly ever and I'm sure it wasn't him that supplied her with the alcohol. I know this because he's on call, busting his ass to support his daughter. I've invited him to parties and other than the rare birthday occasion, he doesn't even drink. The girls in the pictures that you are talking about on Myspace came with other people. Sure, Tommy could get in trouble for letting them on his boat drinking alcohol, but contributing to a minor and being accused of being basically a perv is two totally different things. The responsibility should be in the hands of the parents. Kids in Clendenin drink only because there is nothing else to do. Tommy's not the first person to look the other way when it comes to underage drinking. MOST parents that I know let their kids drink when they are underage, only because if you don't let them they are going to do it anyways and not be safe about it.
Plus, the pictures in question from what I have heard are less racy than pics taken of Miley Cyrus on the cover of freakin' Vanity Fair. Does it make it right because she's making money off of it and because she is a big "star." The pics are of girls mooning the camera - with their underwear on. The other girls are of age and that other girl jumped in the pic. Girls are different now, look older now and try to be grown-up. Parents are different now. What used to be common practice is now considered a crime. Look at all the 13-14 year olds that got married back in the day that had a billion kids and stayed with the same much older guy for 50-60 years.
I'm just saying for you to pick on Tommy considering the fact that it wasn't him sleeping with the girl and the consentual sex occurred out Morris Creek, not in Leatherwood. What this whole thing amounts to is this so-called "innocent" little girl was out of control, her mom couldn't handle her so she gave her to her aunt to raise and the aunt couldn't freaking control her either. She let her go do whatever the hell she wanted to do and then when she finds out (imagine this-) that she is HAVING SEX - oh no, time to freak out because if she gets pregnant the aunt has to deal with it. Then everyone who is in contact with this girl gets drug into it because she is hanging with adults trying to be an adult and because the aunt has no control either. It's not like this girl is 5 or something...she is 13/14 yrs old, old enough to know that she has the potential of getting someone else in trouble and she was passing herself off as a 16 yr old and older depending on the crowd. I just think that of all of the people listed in this complaint, Tommy is not the one who should share take on most of the blame.
Definitely an eye-opener, though. People should not hang out with boys or girls that are underage, regardless of whether or not they know their parents or if they are related because all people are going to do - especially in a small, crappy town like Clendenin is talk smack and spread rumors and lies which lead to these sorts of things happening. That is why I got the hell out of there. So sick and tired of having to explain myself and others to people like you.

[INFORMED]

I could care less what you think of me for saying what I think. Matter of fact, that's all your doing. Saying what you think. BUT, look at the FACTS!!! I also was a young girl once and knew him then..... He hits on young girls. PERIOD! That's all I have to say.

And when he walks into a store and BUYS BEER that you say he doesn't drink and then a carload of underage kids follow him out of town....WHAT DO YOU THINKS GOING ON????
A. Either he's buying it for them, for them to go party.
B. He's buying it for them, and they are ALL going to party.
Either way, it's wrong.
For you to say he doesn't drink, there sure is alot of times I've seen that man with alcohol. And on his boat.

About the whole perv thing. If I found out a 30 year old man allowed my 14 year old daughter on his boat, drinking alcohol - I WOULD BE PISSED!!!!!!!!! It doesn't matter that they didn't come with him or not, he lets them on the boat.

COMMON SENSE DOES NOT REIGN SUPREME, I GUESS.
Defend him all you want, it's not going to save him. He did something wrong. As well as the other's involved, they are not blameless. They were involved too. It's just that he is supposed to be some great person and look at him now......

Funny, how sh*t switches up. Karma's a bitch.

[Really Informed]

Perhaps you didn't read what I wrote...I said contributing, fine...but he's not the monster that he's made out to be. Like I said, Tommy is not the first person in the world to look the other way when it comes to underage drinking or to even buy beer for someone when they were underage (not that I know this to be true, but this is what you are alleging). Hell, I was a girl that was drinking when I was underage. Are you a good little Christian girl that said her prayers and narc'd people out for disobeying the laws or did you drink before you turned 21? If you drank, where did you get it? I'm sure if you did drink, there were people there buying it for you and the alcohol situation was not any different. Too often people grow up and they forget what it's like to be a kid and they turn into hypocrites.

The sad thing is the parents of the kids that you are talking about let their kids do more than just drink underage, I am sure. Responsible parents keep up with what their kids are doing, unless they just don't care. I know you can't be with your kids every second, but it has been reported that this girl's mom could've gave a sh!t less about what she was doing because she was out of control. It seems to me that you have some sort of personal issue with Tommy that is causing you to wish him such harm. Was he mean to you in school or something? Did he tease you? Seems like there are deep-rooted issues here. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so quick to condemn a man that is innocent until proven guilty. Also, I don't get your initial comment where you think that Josh Barnes is such an innocent bystander and a victim of circumstance. I know where he lives and I see who he brings to his house. He hangs out with nothing but underage girls, so it's ridiculous that everything that you've said focuses on just Tommy.

[Informed]

I think it's funny that you are pretty much saying that Tommy did nothing wrong. Funny. Sounds like you are putting the blame on the other people involved and their parents. From my knowledge, isn't TOMMY the only person involved THAT IS A PARENT. Let's forget anything I've said about him, let's "pretend" he did nothing wrong... He's a PARENT. He should know better than anyone else there what he should/shouldn't do...Since he does have a baby girl of his own. Sorry that you think i have something against him, I don't. I think that everyone involved should be punished for their role. It's that when a "community pillar" that is such an "outstanding person" or so he would lead everyone to believe, does something like this, They need to PAY! The rest of the people involved do not have government or city jobs, don't have kids, etc. I just think that if you look at everyone's background...... they all look good up to this incident. And if you look at everyone involved....(the guys)
Josh Barnes, 23 - Employeed, never been in trouble with the law, no children;
Donald Taylor, 20 yrs, old - no children, not sure of employment, known as a "good ole' boy" around Clendenin & Clay;
TOMMY MITCHELL, 29- firefighter, father, x-husband (wonder why????), community do-gooder, perfect example of a law abiding citizen.

How does a father get mixed up in a situation with a 14yr. old girl????
Maybe just stupidity.

You mention that someone else brought the girl, someone else brought the girls to his boat. Blah, blah, blah. If someone brought a 14 year old boy to my house and gave them alcohol, I would tell them and the boy to get out of my house. That's gross. Have you ever seen a 14 year old drunk???? It's not funny in the least.

I could care less what happens to any of them, but when someone like Tommy is involved in something like this...... It's a shame.
Maybe if Tommy would keep his nose out of other people's business, MORE people would like him.

And about Tommy making fun of me......I'd like to see the day..... That man has nothing to make fun of me over. That's for sure. Kind of immature for you to even say that. This is not personal at all.

See how easy the media makes things out to be what they aren't....AND see how fast people so easily jump on the bandwagon to accuse people of something that isn't necessarily the whole truth....
FUNNY ISN'T IT??????????
Like i said before~~~~~~~~ Karma is a b*tch and that's exactly what this is. Karma.
Good luck with the court stuff, it's fun.
Maybe Mr. Mitchell will be slower to put judgement on other people when this type of sh*t happens to other people.....
He sure was jumping the gun a couple years ago... How does it feel when it's reversed, partna????

[Whodoo Voodoo]

This reeks of tawana brawley ...?

[Curious]

The one female in the picture is/was married to a Charleston police officer. Is that still the case?

[Really Informed]

I think it's funny that you state that you don't care what happens to any of them, yet you choose to voice your opinion and obviously are getting very pissed off on a public forum. If you don't care, then don't bad mouth people on the internet!!

And, as far as the ex-husband comment, do you know his ex-wife - THAT is why they are divorced!!! Donald Taylor may be known as a "good ole boy" and I know his family as well, but he's the only one that's been accused of actually sleeping with this girl. I believe he thought she was older too and don't place much blame in his lap either, even though he is the only one that is really facing any really, really serious trouble. Tommy's never been in trouble with the law either up until this point, so not sure what your point is there.

Apparently, you do have personal issues with him and that is why you statae, "Maybe if Tommy would keep his nose out of other people's business, MORE people would like him."

Also, you started this whole bashing thing and then you have the nerve to state, "AND see how fast people so easily jump on the bandwagon to accuse people of something that isn't necessarily the whole truth." Considering everything that you have posted here, that statement itself makes you the biggest hypocrite. Apparently, you or someone close to you has been accused of some sort of legal trouble Tommy thought you/whoever was guilty (or at least you are alluding to this fact). If that is the case and you are or were innocent like you state, I'm sure you know it sucks to have people talk crap without knowing all the facts. You can say this isn't personal all you want, but you've proven my point by your statements. My whole point is it is "innocent until proven guilty," not the other way around. If people should make quick judgements that he is innocent, then you shouldn't make such a quick judgement that he is guilty.

[Really Informed]

Yes, but they have kind of left her out of it apparently. I haven't heard her name mentioned hardly at all -(wonder why?)

[everyonemakesmis takes]

First of all, Informed you sound like an idiot that has some thing specifically against Tommy. You defend the man who had sex with this girl, yet bash a man that had a picture of the girl (along with 2 other girls) goofing off and showing their butts (mooning him)! Are you that ignorant? There is no doubt that everyone involved used poor judgement, however your comments make you sound very misinformed about Tommy and this situation. May I suggest that you change your name? Tommy is one of my best friends and obviously you do not know him very well so I wish that you would find another issue that you are ignorant about to comment on.

[Curious]

For the idiot who left the clueless judgement on my posting - it is not clueless because I am related to the female in question and I am VERY MUCH aware of who she was married to at one time. I do not keep in touch with her for obvious reasons and I was curious as to if she was still married to the police officer. If you don't know something then you shouldn't judge comments. BTW, she is still married to him and YES he was at one time a deputy in Clay County.

[Brooke]

People need to leave Tommy alone. Yes he has a little girl and she loves her dad very much. Tommy would never do anything in front of his little girl. I go to Tommys house all the time he has never tried anything on me. People need to stay out of other peoples busines. I no that Tommy is a good guy and noboby can tell me differnt.

[Really Informed]

BTW, Tommy was cleared of any wrongdoing and is back to work....NOT GUILTY!!!!!!! Too bad the news won't do a story on that. I don't know about the others.

[curious]

I hear he has another baby out there!!!I just heard this recently .......

[Really Now]

I don't know who you are "curious" but I know TM and he don't have another kid. Quit spreading lies.