Terry Leon Blankenship, a 56-year-old man from Bluefield, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. This sentencing, delivered on May 27, 2025, in Charleston, West Virginia, is for obstruction of justice connected to a sex trafficking case.
On January 18, 2024, Blankenship was found guilty by a federal jury of interfering with the enforcement of federal sex trafficking laws and attempted witness tampering. Alongside his wife Laurel Blankenship, he was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit witness tampering. The charges stemmed from actions between April 4 and July 25, 2023. During this period, the couple attempted to influence the testimony of a key witness in Terry Leon Blankenship's federal sex trafficking case.
The central witness in the case was a 12-year-old girl who alleged that Terry Leon Blankenship had compensated her for sexual activities with items such as vapes. These allegations led to his indictment for sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 14. However, during an investigation by West Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS), which might have led to her being placed into foster care, the minor recanted her allegations. While incarcerated pending trial for the sex trafficking charges, Terry Leon Blankenship and his wife were recorded discussing ways to ensure the minor maintained her recantation. Their discussions included plans to bribe her with an iPhone.
At sentencing, the court determined that Terry Leon Blankenship had engaged in sexual acts with the minor and that her initial allegations were credible despite later recantation attempts being deemed false. The court also concluded that he obstructed justice by providing false testimony at an earlier hearing.
Previously convicted on December 5, 2008, for possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Terry Leon Blankenship served eight years and four months in prison and was on supervised release when these new offenses occurred.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston commented: “The evidence showed that Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender on supervised release for possessing child pornography when he repeatedly sexually abused a minor female over several months.” She further stated that he tried "to escape accountability" through attempts at corrupt persuasion.
Laurel Blankenship is scheduled for sentencing on May 29, 2025. Meanwhile, Terry Leon Blankenship faces a revocation hearing regarding alleged violations of his supervised release on June 10, 2025.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence following investigations by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted this case.
Further details are available via PACER under Case No. 1:23-cr-97 or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.
