William Luckey denied bond on child sex abuse charges

Despite defense counsel arguments that child abuse charges against William R. Luckey were the product of a misunderstanding and that the release on bond of the 72-year-old with a 35-year tie to this community would present no danger to the community or risk of flight, Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Nancy Reed wasted little time in denying bond to the defendant Thursday afternoon. Dr. Luckey heard the judge’s decision by video connection to the bond hearing from Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren County (RSW) Regional Jail.

Defense attorney Shannon Johnson would not verify an appeal of the bond denial prior to discussion with her co-counsel Thaddeus Furlong. However, comments in the courtroom seemed to indicate an appeal is likely. Johnson had her client testify to describe his military service, including an honorable discharge from the Marines, his lengthy academic career, which continued into the 2020-21 school year as a teacher at the Padre Pio Academy out of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Front Royal, and extensive family ties to the community, in seeking bond for her client. Dr. Luckey cited the bulk of his teaching career as 33 years as a Christendom College professor and semi-retired Professor Emeritus.

Dr. William R. Luckey upon booking into RSW Jail on Friday, June 25. Photo RSW website

“This isn’t what happened,” Julie Luckey told her husband of specific sexual acts described in one of the warrants, later adding, “It’s not like you raped somebody.”
“No, it doesn’t say ‘Show me your hiney,’ Dr. Luckey seemed to laugh in response to his wife’s dispute over the content of the warrants. At another point in recorded conversations in the days after his arrest, Dr. Luckey told his wife his situation was a result “of 15 minutes of stupidity on my part.”

But during closing statements and rebuttals, defense counsel Johnson again disputed the prosecution assertion such statements were a partial admission of guilt. Rather, she said they reflected nervousness over the severity of the charges and other dynamics related to the charges being brought.

The prosecution introduced phone conversations between Dr. Luckey at RSW Jail and his wife into evidence during the July 1 bond hearing. The couple knew they were being recorded, arresting officer Kristin Hajduk told the court. Prosecution and defense counsel disputed what could be read into the conversations.

In arguing against the bond, prosecutor Meadows noted Dr. Luckey’s continued connection to the Padre Pio Academy as a reason not to issue bond.

Contacted about Dr. Luckey’s relationship to the Padre Pio Academy in the wake of his June 25 arrest, the Academy’s Board Chairman Francois Flippen told Royal Examiner that they were now in the summer break and had not expected Dr. Luckey to return to the school for the next semester due to the myriad health concerns his attorney addressed during the bond hearing. Flippen also said that Julie Luckey, whom he described as “a generous volunteer for different school functions” in addition to her elementary school teaching role, had “resigned from all of her involvement with the school on Sunday to minimize negative impacts for the school” from her husband’s arrest.

Information received by Royal Examiner this week also indicates that Dr. Luckey is no longer listed as a Professor Emeritus on the Christendom College website.

A preliminary hearing on the cases is scheduled for August 5, on the morning docket of Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.