As press releases fly, plot thickens in Tharpe sex solicitation case

Hollis Tharpe, center, chairs March 25th town council meeting as Vice-Mayor William Sealock, left, and Councilwoman Letasha Thompson listen. Sealock will assume the mayor’s duties and chair meetings pending resolution of the misdemeanor case against Tharpe. Royal Examiner File Photo/Roger Bianchini

Front Royal Mayor Hollis Tharpe was present with wife Debbie to hear a misdemeanor warrant issued for solicitation of prostitution by a Warren County Grand Jury Monday afternoon, April 15. Due to the involvement of a special prosecutor from outside the county Tharpe’s case was called first on a crowded grand jury docket convened at 2:17 p.m.

Winchester attorney David Hensley told Judge Clifford L. Athey Jr. he was making a special appearance on Tharpe’s behalf. Hensley said he would seek discovery of prosecution evidence against Tharpe and Athey gave Special Prosecutor Heather Hoevermale 30 days, to May 15, to respond to the defense discovery motion.

The matter was set to be revisited on the court docket of June 17, at 2 p.m. Athey instructed Hoevermale to send the prosecution discovery to Hensley pending Tharpe’s retention of another attorney to handle the case in the long run.

As previously reported by Royal Examiner, the 67-year-old Tharpe called the misdemeanor charge against him “embarrassing” and “baseless”. He indicated that when he visits massage parlors it is for legitimate massage therapy on his aging and aching body. The date of the offense is listed as May 31, 2018 and is believed to involve a massage parlor  on the town’s south side.

Nearly two-and-a-half-hours before the indictment was returned by the grand jury, in a press release issued from the Front Royal Town Council Clerk’s Office at 11:58 a.m. Tharpe announced that he would voluntarily place himself on temporary administrative leave without pay pending resolution of the charge against him. So, Vice-Mayor William Sealock will chair coming council meetings, beginning with a work session Monday evening at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

The list of press releases related to the misdemeanor “solicitation of sexual conduct” allegation against the Front Royal mayor expanded at 3:37 p.m. Monday afternoon when a Virginia State Police notice of Tharpe’s grand jury indictment and court appearance went out.

That VSP release states, “The charge stems from an investigation initiated in October 2018 by the Virginia State Police at the direction of the Office of the Attorney General.”

That there was an investigation into Tharpe went public on August 30, 2018, when Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Brian Madden filed notice he would recuse himself from any possible prosecution relating to an “Investigation Concerning Hollis Tharpe”. The Winchester Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office of Marc Abrams was appointed by the court to replace Madden’s office in the matter.