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Former LCPS student convicted of sexual assault released from probation
The Loudoun County student convicted of sexually assaulting two different students as a juvenile was released from probation Wednesday. FOX 5's Katie Barlow was in the court for the decision.
LEESBURG, Va. - A controversial decision in Loudoun County has led to the release of a former student convicted of sexually assaulting two girls at separate schools.
The decision, handed down by Judge Pamela Brooks on Wednesday, has sparked some community concern.
Hunter Heckel, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting girls at two different high schools in Loudoun County, was ordered to be released from a residential treatment facility. Judge Brooks stated that Heckel is now in compliance with all requirements under his sentence, which included supervised probation.
LCPS internal sexual assault report unsealed
A judge unsealed on Thursday the internal report done following two assaults that took place in two high schools by the same student in Loudoun County.
The first assault occurred in May 2021, when Heckel, wearing a skirt, assaulted a girl in the bathroom at Stone Bridge High School. The second assault took place at Broad Run High School in October 2021. Between these incidents, the Loudoun County School Board approved a policy allowing transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. This decision led to heated school board meetings and placed Loudoun County in the national spotlight.
Scott Smith, the father of the first victim, expressed his frustration with the court’s decision.
"We’ve already been angry and mourned this two years ago when Judge Brooks had to retract her original sentencing. We wanted two things: for him to get help and to be permanently on the offenders list. He didn’t just assault our daughter; he assaulted another, and there are even alleged others," Smith said.
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Parents react to report revealing how LCPS handled sex assault cases
Loudoun County Public Schools is under fire after a report revealed a lack of transparency and accountability. The concerns arose after a special grand jury investigated two sexual assaults that happened in 2021 inside a bathroom and classroom on campus. FOX 5' Sierra Fox spoke to parents about the bombshell report.
Smith was arrested during a school board meeting after speaking out for his daughter.
Nicole Whitman, the Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, also voiced her concerns.
"I wished that Heckel would be under supervised release until he was 21 years old, not 18, but the decision and the deal were made under the prior administration for the Commonwealth's Attorney, so it wasn’t up to me," Whitman stated.