May sentenced to 16-20 years

An Alleghany man was sentenced to a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 20 years, while his mother was also sentenced during the March 23 week of Alleghany Criminal Superior Court.

The session was presided over by Judge Edwin Wilson Jr. The prosecutor during the session was Tom E. Horner and assistant district attorneys during the session were John W. Sherrill and Stacy Y. Adams.

Henry Mason May II

After pleading guilty to one charge of statutory rape and entering Alford pleas to five other charges, Henry Mason May II was sentenced to 16 to 20 years in the N.C. Department of Corrections.

An Alford plea is a guilty plea in which the defendant does not admit guilt but agrees that there is enough evidence to garner a conviction.

May had faced a total of 15 charges in relation to having sexual relations with a girl who was 13 years old at the time. The newspaper withholds the names of victims of sex offenses.

May was first arrested on April 1, 2006 and charged with the sex offenses. He was on parole at the time of his first charges, which included allegations that he had intercourse with the then-13-year-old on March 30 and April 1, 2006. The conviction on which he was out on parole was for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Additional charges against May, including solicitation to commit murder, obstructing justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, were first reported in August 2008. Those charges alleged that May conspired with his mother, Connie S. Cline, to have a witness in the case killed by a third party. Cline's case was also handled during the recent Superior Court session and is related below.

During the Superior Court Session last week, May specifically was found guilty of two counts of attempted statutory rape or a sex offense when the defendant is six or more years older than the victim, attempted first-degree sex offense of a child, indecent liberties with a child, solicitation to commit murder, and obstruction of justice.

In addition to the lengthy prison term, the sentence includes sex offender monitoring and orders May to register as a sex offender. The document also makes note that May not be housed with certain inmates. Charges that were dismissed against May included three counts of crime against nature, three counts of statutory rape or a sex offense when the defendant is six or more years older than the victim, being a habitual felon and felony conspiracy.

Connie S. Cline

Cline pled no contest to misdemeanor common law obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 45 days suspended and 18 months supervised probation. Cline was ordered to pay court cost and a $300 court-appointed attorney fee, and not be within 250 feet of the victim or victim's family in May's case, and have no contact, directly or indirectly, with them or probation would be revoked. Cline was also ordered to turn in all copies of records from Broughton Hospital by 5 p.m. on March 25 and turn it into the clerk or probation would be revoked.