Father and son convicted of sexual assaults on three minor female relatives left in their care

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OFFICE OF THE COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
30th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
THOMAS B. WINE, COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY

Media Release: June 3, 2021

Attention: Assignment Editor
Director of Communications: Jeff Cooke
Office: (502) 595-2300 Ext. 3027
Cell / Text: (502) 262-5809
E-mail: jcooke@louisvilleprosecutor.com

In a criminal trial concluded today in Division 11 of Jefferson Circuit Court a jury recommended that William K. Riggle, Sr. serve 75 years in prison and his son, William K. Riggle, Jr., serve 150 years in prison for a series of sexual assaults against three minor females who had been in their care. Yesterday, the jury convicted Riggle, Sr. on three counts of Sodomy in the First Degree, eight counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and three counts of Intimidating a Participant in the Legal Process and Riggle, Jr. of five counts of Sodomy in the First Degree, one count of Rape in the First Degree, seven counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, one count of Intimidating a Participant in the Legal Process and one count of Use of a Minor in a Sexual Performance.

The minor females were nieces of Riggle, Sr. and cousins of Riggle, Jr. and had lived in the home of Riggle, Sr. between 2009 and 2017. Once the children were returned to the custody of their mother in 2017 they began disclosing to her the sexual and physical abuse they experienced at the hands of the two Riggles. Their mother took children to Norton’s Children Hospital for examinations for sexual abuse and later to the Family and Children’s Place for forensic interviews. In their interviews the children graphically detailed a variety of sexual acts which they were forced to perform by the Riggles. At least one of the sexual acts was recorded by Riggle, Jr.

Formal sentencing for both Riggles is scheduled for August 9, 2021 at 9:15 a.m.

The case was investigated by Detective Stacey Roby in the LMPD Crimes Against Children Unit.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Danielle Yannelli and Chris Foster were the prosecutors.