BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — A 62-year-old man who fled during his trial and was later apprehended in Atlanta was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in prison for rape of a child.
Roane County Criminal Court Judge Jeff Wicks sentenced Victor Moore to 40 years on the child rape conviction and 10 years each on two counts of aggravated sexual battery. According to the sentencing account, Moore must serve 100 percent of the 40-year sentence and will remain on the sex offender registry for life.
The convictions involved a 12-year-old victim.
Moore’s trial began July 28. He represented himself after dismissing two court-appointed attorneys and was free on a $100,000 bond.
After attending the first day of trial, Moore failed to return to court the following morning. Investigators checked his home, contacted relatives and used an automated license plate reader system, or ALPR, to help track his vehicle.
Cameras recorded the vehicle in Georgia traveling toward Atlanta. Roane County authorities contacted law enforcement there, and Moore was apprehended as he was about to board a bus bound for Florida.
He was returned to Roane County, where the trial resumed more than a month later. A jury convicted him on all three counts.
During Tuesday’s nearly three-hour sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Edwards presented testimony from probation officer Margaret Gore, Roane County Sheriff’s Chief Investigator Randy Heidle and Jail Administrator Keith Emmert. Evidence included a recorded jail conversation in which Moore discussed his efforts to reach Florida and avoid the conclusion of his trial.
Edwards sought the strictest sentence possible, citing the offenses, their impact on the victim and Moore’s attempt to evade justice. Moore requested 10 years of probation.
Following sentencing, Moore requested an attorney to represent him in a motion for a new trial and any subsequent appeals.
He remains in the Roane County Jail awaiting transfer to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
