Trigger Warning: Rape
Man Sentenced to 70 Years for Sexually Assaulting 2 Women, Breaking Into Home of 3rd Woman in 2022
NORFOLK, Va. — Ryan Anthony Kearney, 32, was sentenced on Friday to serve 70 years in prison for raping one woman, sexually assaulting a second woman, and intruding the home of a third woman in the span of two days in 2022.
On May 29, 2022, the first woman was in her home off East Little Creek Road showering when Mr. Kearney entered the house through an unlocked back door and took off his shoes. The woman’s husband had just left, and her son was sleeping. While she was in the shower, she saw Mr. Kearney (a stranger to her) peep at her through the curtain. The woman screamed and told Mr. Kearney to leave, but he put his hand over her mouth and proceed to rape her. Mr. Kearney left her house soon after, taking her husband’s watch with him. As soon as he left, the woman woke her son, who called 911. Norfolk Police designated a target area in the woman’s neighborhood and distributed Mr. Kearney’s physical description to patrol officers. The woman underwent a sexual assault nurse examination, and DNA was found on her body that was later confirmed to belong to Mr. Kearney.
In the late evening hours of May 30, 2022, the second woman was staying at a short-term rental house off of East Ocean View Avenue when she fell asleep on the back porch. She awoke around 2 a.m. to Mr. Kearney (who was a stranger to her as well), lying beside her and penetrating her with his fingers. The woman struck Mr. Kearney in his face and ran inside the residence to retrieve her gun. Mr. Kearney stood outside the residence awhile but fled when she came back outside and pointed the gun at him. The woman then went back inside and called the police, providing a description of Mr. Kearney similar to the first victim’s and his direction of travel.
After he fled, Mr. Kearney entered the third woman’s house off 20th Bay Street through a partially opened garage door while everyone inside was sleeping. Mr. Kearney entered the woman’s bedroom, and she woke up to the sound of his movements assuming that Mr. Kearney was her father. When she called out to her father, however, she heard Mr. Kearney’s unfamiliar voice in response. When she screamed, Mr. Kearney covered her face. The woman then kicked Mr. Kearney in his groin, her parents came running to check on her, and Mr. Kearney fled the home through the garage door. The woman called 911 and also gave a similar description of Mr. Kearney.
One of the officers who responded to the third woman’s house recognized Mr. Kearney from that house’s doorbell camera footage, as the officer had just seen him at a nearby convenience store. Officers were soon after able to locate Mr. Kearney off East Little Creek Road. Mr. Kearney was wearing the first victim’s husband’s watch when he was taken into custody.
The charges against Mr. Kearney as a result of the Norfolk Police’s investigation led to three separate proceedings this year:
For the incident involving the first victim, in March a jury found Mr. Kearney guilty of object sexual penetration, attempted forcible sodomy, forcible sodomy, statutory burglary with the intent to commit rape, and attempted rape.
For the incident involving the third victim, in August Mr. Kearney requested to be tried by a judge instead of a jury. Judge Tasha D. Scott found Mr. Kearney guilty of statutory burglary with the intent to commit rape.
For the incident involving the second victim, in October Mr. Kearney entered a plea agreement instead of moving forward with a trial. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey found Mr. Kearney guilty of object sexual penetration, and Mr. Kearney’s plea agreement called for a maximum active prison sentence of 10 years on that charge alone.
On Friday, Mr. Kearney was sentenced for all his charges by Judge Everett A. Martin Jr., who presided over Mr. Kearney’s jury trial. Judge Martin sentenced Mr. Kearney to serve 70 years in prison plus three years of post-release supervision.
“Mr. Kearney’s crimes are among the most serious anyone could commit against another person, and it is why Mr. Kearney will now almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Kearney’s sentence reflects the tremendous harm he has caused the survivors of these crimes and protects the community from further harm. I thank the survivors for their help in prosecuting Mr. Kearney, and my prosecutors and I will continue to focus our resources on the most serious and violent individuals who put our community at risk.”
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle L. Newkirk led the prosecution of Mr. Kearney’s case, Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Shavaughn N. Banks and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys George M. Afentakis and Alexander Rosenberg assisted Ms. Newkirk in the preparations and presentations of Mr. Kearney’s trials, and Norfolk Police Detective Calen D. Wood led the investigation.
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Oct. 7, 2024
Trigger Warning: Rape
Man Found Guilty of Sexually Victimizing 3 Norfolk Women After Intruding Their Residences in 2022
NORFOLK, Va. — Ryan Anthony Kearney, 32, has been convicted of sodomizing one woman after intruding into her home in broad daylight, sexually assaulting a second woman who slept on the back porch of a home she rented, and burglarizing a third woman’s home with the intent to rape her — all within a two-day period in 2022. The charges against Mr. Kearney were part of one investigation that led to three proceedings, concluding with Mr. Kearney pleading guilty on Friday to his charge related to the second victim. Earlier, Mr. Kearney was tried in March 2024 and found guilty by a jury for his charges related to the first victim, and Mr. Kearney was tried in August 2024 and found guilty by a judge for his charge related to the third victim.
On May 29, 2022, the first woman was in her home off East Little Creek Road showering when Mr. Kearney entered the house through an unlocked back door and took off his shoes. The woman’s husband had just left, and her son was sleeping. While she was in the shower, she saw Mr. Kearney (a stranger to her) peep at her through the curtain. The woman screamed and told Mr. Kearney to leave, but he put his hand over her mouth and proceed to rape her. Mr. Kearney left the house soon after, taking her husband’s watch with him. As soon as he left, the woman woke her son, who called 911. Norfolk Police designated a target area in the woman’s neighborhood and distributed Mr. Kearney’s physical description to patrol officers. The woman underwent a sexual assault nurse examination, and DNA was found on her body that was later confirmed to belong to Mr. Kearney.
In the late evening hours of May 30, 2022, the second woman was staying at a short-term rental house off of East Ocean View Avenue when she fell asleep on the back porch. She awoke around 2 a.m. on May 31, 2022, to Mr. Kearney (who was a stranger to her as well), lying beside her and penetrating her with his fingers. The woman struck Mr. Kearney in his face and ran inside the residence to retrieve her gun. Mr. Kearney stood outside the residence awhile but fled when she came back outside and pointed the gun at him. The woman then went back inside and called the police, providing a description of Mr. Kearney similar to the first victim’s and his direction of travel.
After he fled, Mr. Kearney entered a different house off 20th Bay Street through a partially opened garage door while everyone inside was sleeping. Mr. Kearney entered a woman’s bedroom, and the woman woke up to the sound of his movements, assuming that Mr. Kearney was her father. However, when she called out to her father, she heard Mr. Kearney’s unfamiliar voice in response. When she screamed, Mr. Kearney covered her face. The woman then kicked Mr. Kearney in his groin, her parents came running to check on her, and Mr. Kearney fled the home through the garage door. The woman called 911 and also gave a similar description of Mr. Kearney.
One of the officers who responded to the third woman’s house recognized Mr. Kearney from that house’s doorbell camera footage, as the officer had just seen him at a nearby convenience store. Officers were soon after able to locate Mr. Kearney off East Little Creek Road. Mr. Kearney was wearing the first victim’s husband’s watch when he was taken into custody.
Mr. Kearney initially requested jury trials for each set of charges against him. For the incident involving the first victim, in March 2024 a jury found Mr. Kearney guilty of object sexual penetration, attempted forcible sodomy, forcible sodomy, statutory burglary with the intent to commit rape, and attempted rape.
For the incident involving the third victim, in August 2024 Mr. Kearney requested to be tried by a judge instead of a jury. Judge Tasha D. Scott found Mr. Kearney guilty of statutory burglary with the intent to commit rape.
For the incident involving the second victim, on Friday Mr. Kearney entered a plea agreement instead of moving forward with a trial. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey found Mr. Kearney guilty of object sexual penetration, and Mr. Kearney’s plea agreement calls for a maximum active prison sentence of 10 years on that charge alone.
Mr. Kearney will be sentenced for all of his convictions related to the three incidents in a combined hearing on Nov. 22 before Judge Everett A. Martin Jr., who presided over Mr. Kearney’s first jury trial.
“Mr. Kearney committed a frightening series of three sexual assaults in the space of less than two days, and we are fortunate that thanks to the survivors and the Norfolk Police that Mr. Kearney was caught so quickly,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I am proud of the work of my colleagues in holding Mr. Kearney accountable, and at Mr. Kearney’s sentencing we will recommend a prison term that fits the serious crimes Mr. Kearney has committed. We stand with the survivors and will work to protect the community from anyone who would victimize others.”
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle L. Newkirk is leading the prosecution of Mr. Kearney’s case, Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Shavaughn N. Banks and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys George M. Afentakis and Alexander Rosenberg assisted Ms. Newkirk in the preparations and presentations of Mr. Kearney’s trials, and Norfolk Police Detective Calen D. Wood led the investigation.
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