HENRICO COUNTY, Va. – A Henrico man will serve 19 years for the rape and sexual assault of two sisters at an AMF bowling alley on Schrader Road.
Thomas Pherigo-Jackson received 40 years with 21 suspended, for the two charges.
Pherigo-Jackson, then 18-years-old, raped one sister and sexually assaulted the other inside a bathroom stall. One girl was just five, the other seven.
Previously CBS 6 legal expert Todd Stone said Pherigo-Jackson said his mental capacity could mean less time than what some might expect.
Thomas Pherigo-Jackson
“The fact that he tried locking himself inside the stall in the case and doesn’t have the wherewithal to avoid detection… those issues that a defense attorney will raise with the judge,” said Stone. “That’s something that courts consider when they punish someone.”
Jackson is deaf, which is classified as a disability. Through a sign language interpreter he acknowledged that he agreed to the plea deal.
It has also been reported that Jackson faced mental challenges growing up.
The charges also call for a mandatory placement on the Virginia Sex Offender registry.
“The offense does carry up to life for both, but when you weigh in with mental challenges, it makes it heart breaking for all,” said Stone. “You think about those two young girls who will be traumatized for life, and then you have this young man where his life is ruined, too.”
