Upshur County man sentenced for sexual assault of minors
Posted/updated on: April 12, 2023 at 3:47 amGILMER â An Upshur County man was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor on Monday. Winston David Tackett, 73, was arrested after one of his victims reported the assaults to a teacher at her school. The teacher contacted Child Protective Services and the Upshur County Sheriffâs Office took over the case. âThe defendant holds a position and respect in both the community and in his family and used that to hide his crime and keep his victimâs silenced,â Billy W. Byrd, criminal district attorney said. According to a press release, Tackettâs assaults go back to 2020 and each victim was assaulted multiple times. Officials said he will not be eligible for parole until he is 100-years-old. The family of the victims was in court to watch the plea, which required Tackett to waive his right to appeal and officials said the victimâs didnât need to testify.