Terry Leon Blankenship, a 56-year-old resident of Bluefield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on May 27, 2025. The sentence includes a lifetime of supervised release following his conviction for obstruction of justice related to a sex trafficking case.
A federal jury found Blankenship guilty on January 18, 2024, of interfering with the enforcement of federal sex trafficking laws and attempted witness tampering. Both he and his wife, Laurel Blankenship, were convicted of conspiracy to commit witness tampering after a one-day trial. Evidence presented at the trial showed that from April 4, 2023, through July 25, 2023, the couple conspired to influence the testimony of a key witness in the case against Terry Leon Blankenship.
The witness involved was a 12-year-old girl who accused Terry Leon Blankenship of paying her for sexual activities with vapes and other items. Based on these allegations, he was indicted for sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14. During an investigation by West Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS), which could have led to her placement in foster care, the minor later recanted her allegations. However, recorded jail calls revealed conversations between Terry Leon Blankenship and his wife about ensuring that she maintained this recantation. These discussions included plans to bribe her with an iPhone.
During sentencing, evidence indicated that Terry Leon Blankenship engaged in sexual acts with the minor and that her initial disclosure was credible while her later recantation was not. It was also determined that he obstructed justice by providing false testimony at an earlier hearing.
At the time of these offenses, Terry Leon Blankenship was already registered as a sex offender due to a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in December 2008. He had been sentenced to over eight years in prison for that offense and was serving lifetime supervised release when these new charges arose.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston stated: “The evidence showed that Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender on supervised release for possessing child pornography when he repeatedly sexually abused a minor female over several months.” She added that he “preyed on her and then conspired to escape accountability for his crimes by attempting to corruptly persuade the minor to recant her initial allegations.”
Laurel Blankenship is set for sentencing on May 29, 2025. A revocation hearing regarding alleged violations of supervised release is scheduled for June 10, 2025.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The Mercer County Sheriff’s Department conducted investigative work leading up to this case’s resolution.
Further information can be accessed via PACER using Case No. 1:23-cr-97 or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for Southern District West Virginia.
