FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – An Oak Hill man was sentenced Monday to what prosecutors described as a functional life sentence after being convicted of 36 felony sex offenses involving five child victims over a span of four decades.
According to Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti Jr., Harold L. “Butch” Blake III, 63, of Oak Hill, was sentenced July 20, 2026, by Fayette County Circuit Judge Thomas K. Fast.
Blake was convicted at the conclusion of a three-day trial on April 23, 2026.
Judge Fast ordered all 36 felony sentences to be served consecutively, resulting in a combined sentence of not less than 182 years nor more than 470 years in prison. Under the sentence, Blake must serve a minimum of 182 years.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the offenses were committed over a 40-year period and involved five minor victims.
The investigation began after a child recently disclosed that Blake had engaged in an inappropriate sexual act with her. As investigators continued the case, four additional victims came forward with similar allegations.
The case was jointly investigated by the Oak Hill Police Department Detective Bureau and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau. It was prosecuted by Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti Jr.
The prosecutor’s office also noted that West Virginia has no statute of limitations for felony crimes and encouraged anyone who suspects a child is being victimized, or who was a victim of sexual violence as a child, to report the information to their local law enforcement agency.
