PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. β The trial of a longtime Prince George County educator accused of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s will not take place in Prince George, a judge ruled Thursday.
During a pre-trial motion hearing in Prince George Circuit Court, the judge said the upcoming trial of William A. Barnes Jr., scheduled to begin March 16, will be moved to another part of the state. The exact location will soon be determined by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Both the prosecution and the defense support the change of venue, in part because of CBS 6's extensive coverage of the accusations against Barnes, according to Laura French, who was in the courtroom.
Barnes was indicted by a grand jury in September 2024 on a single felony count of aggravated sexual battery of a minor.
The accuser claims Barnes touched his genitals at a sleepover back in the 1980s, when the alleged victim was 14 years old.
Barnes is a well-known figure in Prince George, where the former assistant superintendent worked for the county school system for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2023.
This will be the second criminal trial he will face connected to sex crime charges. His first trial, in which the accuser was Barnes's own adopted son, ended in a mistrial last month.
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