Nearly two years have passed since a 34-year-old Chantilly man raped a 14-year-old Chantilly girl in his home. But Stacey O. Tibbs has now been sentenced to six years in prison.
The reason for the delay is that, following his arrest, he was released on bond and spent the next 10 months on the lam before being recaptured.
AT THE TIME of the crime, Tibbs resided at 4131 Chantilly Lace Court in the Chantilly Mews community. In a May 5, 2004 affidavit for a search warrant to obtain forensic evidence from his person, Fairfax County police Det. G.W. Barlow of the Sex Crimes Unit presented details of the case against him.
Barlow wrote that, on March 18, 2004, a 14-year-old girl told police she'd been sexually assaulted. She then underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse's Examination at the hospital.
The girl said she knew Tibbs because she'd babysat his children and, several times, had been a guest in his home. According to the affidavit, she and some friends were in his house, March 18, around 7:30 p.m.
"While in the home, the [girl] was offered marijuana by several of the occupants," wrote Barlow. "As the night progressed, [she] ingested marijuana and became impaired, to the degree that she did not want to return home." He wrote that she fell asleep on the floor, but awoke around 3:30 a.m. on March 19 to discover a man having sexual intercourse with her.
Wrote the detective: "[She] identified her assailant as Stacey Tibbs." He further noted that she "did not consent to sexual relations [with Tibbs]" on that night or ever. Barlow added that, at the time of the incident, Tibbs was the only male present in the home.
Following an investigation, police arrested Tibbs May 4, 2004, charging him with rape. But he was released from the Adult Detention Center, four days later, on $3,500 bond.
He was supposed to report to Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Oct. 1, 2004. But facing a possible sentence of life in prison, if convicted, he took off. When he didn't show up in court, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest, charging him with failure to appear.
AFTER THAT, almost 10 months went by with no sign of Tibbs, but police were finally able to apprehend him again on July 25, 2005. This time, though, they kept a good eye on him and held him in jail without bond.
On Sept. 27 in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the failure-to-appear charge was dropped and the rape charge was certified to the grand jury. On Oct. 13, the grand jury indicted the Chantilly man, and on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, he pleaded guilty as charged before Circuit Court Judge Jonathan Thacher.
Tibbs returned to court on Jan. 6 and, at that time, Thacher sentenced him to eight years in prison, suspending two years. He also placed Tibbs on two years of active probation, following his release.