Ex-MC school bus driver convicted on sex charges

By Tasha Kates
MG News Service
Published: May 1, 2008

After about 90 minutes of deliberation April 30, an Albemarle County jury found Oscar Robert Lemen guilty of both forcible sodomy and object penetration.

The jury suggested the Madison County man spend 35 years in prison—15 on the sodomy count and 20 on the penetration charge. Lemen was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs after his bond was revoked.

Lemen, a former Madison County school-bus mechanic and fill-in driver, was convicted after a two-day trial in Albemarle Circuit Court. The charges related to incidents that occurred between late 2004 and May 2005 involving a then-13-year-old friend of his daughter.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Darby Lowe said she was “very pleased” with the verdict and the suggested punishment, which could have ranged from five years to life on each charge.

“That is the kind of punishment he deserved,” Lowe said.

Lemen’s attorney, Jack Maus, said outside of the courtroom Wednesday that he thought his client had a chance until Lowe cross-examined Lemen.
“We’re very saddened by the verdict,” Maus said.

Lemen, 48, testified Wednesday that he had gotten a call from the victim before she reported the abuse. Lemen said the victim told him he “would be sorry and she would make people believe.”

In court Wednesday, Lowe asked Lemen questions about the phone call and his custody of his daughter, and countered his answers using his prior testimony and other records.

Before the jury deliberated over Lemen’s recommended sentence, the victim, now 17, spoke in court. She told the jury that she has had anxiety attacks, sleep problems and issues controlling her emotions since the sexual abuse happened.

Reporting the incidents to her mother in November 2005 was difficult, she said.

“Having to see my mother’s face when I told her what Oscar Lemen was doing to me was the worst I’d ever felt,” she said in court. “It was worse than the abuse itself.”

The victim testified April 29 that she slept on the living room couch when she stayed over at Lemen’s home. While she was on the couch one night, Lemen came over and began touching her, according to statements in court.

The victim said she continued visiting her friend despite the worsening abuse because she didn’t want to upset her. Lemen’s daughter, she said, had previously expressed suicidal thoughts.

The April trial was Lemen’s third on charges involving this victim. In 2006, Lemen was acquitted of charges of carnal knowledge of a minor in Madison County. He was indicted on 18 felony charges in Albemarle last year and went to trial in October on two of them. The jury deadlocked on the charges, which were object penetration and forcing a minor to have sex through threats.

Maus said an appeal is possible, although he said his client would wait until he is sentenced before making that decision