Henrico Delegate Joe Morrissey says he will not resign his seat in the General Assembly following this week’s indictment that stems from his relationship with a teenager. He made the statement after a fellow Democrat, Delegate Mark Keam, had called on Morrissey to step down.
A special prosecutor assigned to the case due to Morrissey’s close ties to the Richmond area, alleges that the Delegate had a sexual relationship with a then-17-year-old girl who had worked at his law office. Court papers also allege that Morrissey texted the teen, asking for a nude photo. He then allegedly sent the photo to a friend.
The prosecutor says other text messages recovered from the two phones also indicate sexual encounters. Morrissey now faces felony charges of taking indecent liberties with a minor, electronic solicitation of a minor, and possession and distribution of child pornography. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Morrissey strongly denies the allegations and calls them baseless.
He has said that the teen lied on her employment application, indicating that she was 22. He also said a woman who is attracted to the teenager hacked their cell phones, and she has been recorded admitting to that. The teen also denies the allegations.