Alleged sex crimes and indictment
In August 2013, Morrissey was found by police to be in his home in Henrico County with a 17-year-old girl, who was an employee of his law office. Morrissey, the girl, and her mother, denied any impropriety, but subsequently, a
Henrico County court convened a grand jury to investigate a possible improper sexual relationship between Morrissey and the girl.
[12] On June 30, 2014, Morrissey was
indicted on felony charges of indecent liberties with a minor, possession and distribution of child pornography, and electronic solicitation of a minor, in addition to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
[12] According to statements from the prosecutor in court documents, Morrissey had sex with the girl multiple times in his law office in August 2013, and possessed a nude photograph of the girl, which he also sent to a friend.
[12] Morrissey allegedly continued the relationship with the girl after she left his law office in August 2013, and the two allegedly shared a hotel room overnight in October 2013.
[12] Morrissey has denied the charges, saying the girl came to him for advice about family problems and was being abused by her father, and that the special prosecutor was out to get him because of a personal
vendetta. Morrissey said he rejected a
plea bargain for a single misdemeanor in December 2013.
[15] Morrissey initially vowed to fight the charges in court, declaring that he would be vindicated, and rejected calls to resign his House seat.
[16]
Morrissey's case made national headlines in July 2014 when he used an obscenity on live television while reading a text message he claimed was planted on his phone by hackers.
[16] Morrissey has since entered into a plea agreement in which he will make an
Alford plea to one misdemeanor charge and receive an active jail sentence. News reports indicated that Morrissey would be eligible to attend sessions of the legislature on work release.
[17] Leading members of the Virginia Democratic Party, including Governor
Terry McAuliffe called for Morrissey to resign his seat.
[18] Morrissey resigned his seat on December 18, 2014,
[19] but ran in the special election to fill the vacancy. On January 13, 2015, Morrissey won that election to reclaim his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
[20]
William Neely, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the Morrissey case, secured new felony indictments January 21, 2015 against Morrissey for perjury and for presenting forged documents during his sentencing hearing.
[21]
In March 2015 Morrissey was disqualified from the House of Delegates after filing to run for a state Senate seat outside of his district.
[22][23]
Personal life
Morrissey is currently single, and is the father of record to four children: three daughters, Angela, Lindsay and Kennedy, by three different women, and a son, Chase. Morrissey verbally denied paternity of his son, born March 2015 to his erstwhile legal intern, Myrna Pride. However, in May 2015 he provided reporters with a tantalizingly suggestive photograph, staged in 1800-style costumes, in which Morrissey rests his hand on the bare shoulder of Ms. Pride while smiling broadly at the infant held in her arms.
[24] On May 20, 2015, he confirmed paternity of the boy.
[25]
He lives in Henrico County. Raised as a
Catholic, Morrissey also worships at New Kingdom Christian Ministry in Henrico County, a
Baptist Church led by a former Mayor of Richmond.
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