A former York County utilities employee may be able to keep his record clear of felonies after he had inappropriate sexual encounters with a teenage boy in January.
David Camby, 56, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of misdemeanor indecent exposure and felony use of electronic means to procure minors for obscene material in the York-Poquoson Circuit Court.
If Camby complies with terms of his plea agreement, the felony will be reduced to a misdemeanor in one year.
“Take advantage of this opportunity,” Judge Richard Rizk said. “You don’t want to have to come back here again.”
Camby will be required to complete sex offender treatment and be on supervised probation, Rizk said. He also may not have any contact with the teenager.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney William Boyle said Camby engaged in inappropriate acts with a 15-year-old teenager two separate times in January, then exchanged texts messages with him about the sexual activity they had engaged in.
Police said Camby met the boy a few weeks before the alleged incidents occurred, while Camby was working in the field for York County Public Works.
York County spokeswoman Gail Whittaker confirmed Camby previously worked for the county in the Utilities Division of the Department of Public Works and that his employment was terminated earlier this month. Camby was also previously employed by James City County and earned an “Outstanding Service Award,” according to county meeting minutes.
Police opened the investigation into Camby after the teen’s mother discovered “inappropriate” text messages between Camby and her son on Feb. 13, Boyle said.
The text messages between the teenager and Camby referred to sex acts they had engaged in, including the boy performing fellatio on Camby and Camby exposing himself, he said.
On Jan. 12, Camby picked up the teenager and drove to a cul-de-sac on Scotch Tom Way. Camby exposed his genitals to the teen, Boyle said.
The next day, Camby picked up the teen near the soccer fields on Wolf Trap Road in York County between 3:30 and 4 p.m. The two drove to a secluded area behind a Farm Fresh grocery store, located at 6500 George Washington Memorial Highway, police said.
Police believe the teen performed sex acts on Camby while in the parked pickup truck.
Boyle said Camby admitted to the acts when police questioned him about his relations with the teen. He was arrested March 1 and taken to the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
A court search warrant shows the teenage boy had been involved with older men before. In July, police requested a search warrant for cell phone records belonging to the teenager after the mother reported her son had been talking to a 41-year-old man.
The teen had been talking to the older man since at least April 2016, and the man was court ordered to have no contact with the boy on Jan. 5, 2017, the warrant states.
If Camby complies with the plea terms and the charge is reduced to a misdemeanor, he will be sentenced to 24 months in jail with 20 months suspended. If he does not comply, he will be sentenced to up to five years on the felony and 12 months on the misdemeanor.
Fearing may be reached at [email protected].
