Jury: 30 years for raping child

A jury of seven women and five men found Marcus Christopher Long, 39, of Keeling, guilty of three counts of the rape of a child during a trial in Danville Circuit Court Tuesday and recommended a sentence of 30 years in prison.

Long was charged with raping the victim three times between 2005 and 2006, beginning when she was 8 years old.

The victim, now 13, described to the jury how the rapes affected her over the years, causing problems with her family, in school and with interacting with people in general.

While much of the testimony simply pitted the victim’s word against Long’s, text messages sent by Long to the victim helped support the idea of a relationship between the two, with one message from him telling his young victim that he found her “sexy.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Allan Budny said the victim first told a school counselor some of what had happened, and ultimately opened up with details to a psychologist. Long was indicted in May, after the child had been seeing the psychologist for two months.

The psychologist testified that the victim exhibited signs of emotional trauma, had become “disassociated” and was often only able to express emotions with anger.

The young victim quietly told the jury of feeling sad all the time, not being able to concentrate and often thinking about what happened to her. She thanked the jury for returning a guilty verdict.

Long’s mother, Joyce Long, testified that her son lived with her his whole life and that he had always been helpful to her and other people. His sister, Felicia Thomas; a family friend, Nancy Crews; and his pastor, the Rev. James Kirby, also testified to his character being helpful, trustworthy, honest and polite.

Judge David Melesco told the jury sentencing guidelines call for each rape of a child under the age of 13 to carry a sentence of no less than five years and not more than life in prison.

Before the jury left to determine a sentencing recommendation, attorneys for both sides described what they considered fit punishment for the acts.

Long’s attorney, Public Defender Jason Eisner, urged the jury to “think of the person being sentenced” and to “take into account who he normally is.”

Eisner said Long is not a predator, noting he only raped his victim three times when he “could have engaged in far more acts,” while noting that three times was too many. He said the minimum sentence would total 15 years in prison and that “doesn’t mean it’s automatically not enough,” considering that Long had no prior criminal history, no previous problems with children, was active in his church and was a “blessing to his family.”

Eisner said while Long’s behavior was “not to be tolerated,” a 15-year sentence was enough.

Budny countered by saying “not everyone out there has seen the defendant’s two faces” and that every rapist has to commit his first rape to become a rapist — and that in this case, the defendant had committed his second and third as well. He said the rape of a child is “the worst thing that can happen short of actually killing someone,” and asserted that the victim would carry the trauma of the rapes with her the rest of her life.

“How much worse can it get? Is that someone we want out there?” Budny asked the jury, while noting that a 15-year sentence was “nowhere near appropriate” for the repeated rape of a child.

The jury returned a recommendation of 10 years for each rape, a total of 30 years in prison. Melesco will consider their recommendation, but can impose a sentence at his discretion.

Formal sentencing will take place on Aug. 30 at 9 a.m. in Danville Circuit Court.

Thibodeau is a staff writer for the Danville Register & Bee.