A Norfolk man, Ryan Anthony Kearney, 32, will serve 70 years in prison following a terrifying series of crimes in May 2022. Over two days, Kearney broke into homes, sexually assaulted two women, and intruded into a third home in a spree that left the community shaken.
The series of events began on May 29, 2022, when Kearney entered a woman’s home off East Little Creek Road through an unlocked back door. The woman, who was showering, saw Kearney peering at her through the curtain. Despite her screams and attempts to stop him, Kearney attacked and raped her. He fled the scene with her husband’s watch, leaving the woman and her young son, who called 911, traumatized.
The next day, on May 30, Kearney struck again. He sexually assaulted a woman who had fallen asleep on the back porch of a rental home off East Ocean View Avenue. Waking up to find him assaulting her, she struck him in the face and retrieved a gun, forcing him to flee. Despite the terrifying ordeal, she provided police with a clear description.
Kearney’s final crime that night involved breaking into a home on 20th Bay Street. He entered through a partially open garage and startled a woman who mistook him for her father. When she screamed, he covered her face, but she fought back, kicking him and alerting her parents, which forced him to flee.
Police quickly identified Kearney from security footage and arrested him near East Little Creek Road. At the time, he was still wearing the stolen watch from his first victim.
The Road to Justice
The investigation led to three separate trials for Kearney:
- March: A jury found him guilty of multiple charges, including rape and statutory burglary, in the first case.
- August: A judge convicted him of statutory burglary with intent to commit rape for the third case.
- October: Kearney entered a plea agreement for sexual penetration charges related to the second case, receiving a maximum sentence of 10 years for that incident alone.
On Friday, Judge Everett A. Martin Jr. consolidated the sentences from all cases, imposing a 70-year prison term with three years of post-release supervision.
Community Response
Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk’s Commonwealth Attorney, praised the survivors for their courage. “Mr. Kearney’s crimes are among the most serious anyone could commit against another person, and it is why Mr. Kearney will now almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison,” he said. Fatehi emphasized that the sentence reflects the harm done to the victims and serves to protect the community from further danger.
This case underscores the importance of vigilance in personal and home security and highlights the strength of survivors in seeking justice.