Afton man facing sex charges waives preliminary hearing

By Aaron Lee
Media General News Service
Published: September 16, 2008

An Afton man charged with using a computer to solicit sex from a juvenile girl waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday.

Prosecutors also agreed not to pursue two of the three felony counts against Daniel Wayne Widdowfield, 24. It was not explained during the hearing in Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court why the charges were not being pursued.

Widdowfield was working at the University of Virginia as a facilities technician when he was arrested in late July.

A detective with the University of Virginia Police Department has said Widdowfield “propositioned” a 14-year-old girl for sex online and that Widdowfield requested nude pictures of the girl through her Facebook account.

The detective assumed the girl’s online identity and set up two meetings with Widdowfield, police said.

Widdowfield did not show for the first meeting. But after a second meeting was arranged, Widdowfield was arrested when he came to the tennis courts at Emmet Street and University Avenue, where police said he never left his car.

After his arrest, Widdowfield admitted he was the person communicating with the girl, police said.

Authorities initially charged Widdowfield with three felony counts of using a communications system to facilitate certain offenses involving children.

In early August a judge denied bond for Widdowfield, noting the defendant was already on probation from unrelated cases. Widdowfield is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

Widdowfield’s remaining charge now moves to Charlottesville Circuit Court, where a trial date is to be set Oct. 6.