Couple convicted in sex abuse case

Jul. 29—GREENUP — A same-sex couple was convicted earlier this month on sodomy charges, after a jury founded they had sexually assaulted a minor in their care.

Matthew R. Biggs, 33, and Kory E. Helmick, 35, both of Argillite, were convicted July 13 following a trial in Greenup County Circuit Court.

Biggs was convicted on three counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. The jury found him not guilty on one count of second-degree sodomy and one count of third-degree sodomy.

Helmick was convicted on three counts of first-degree sodomy, one count of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of third-degree sodomy and one count of using an electronic device to procure a minor for sexual purposes. He too was found not guilty on a count of second-degree sodomy.

Both men are set for sentencing on Oct. 20. First-degree sodomy carries with it up to 20 years in prison, while the rest carry up to five years in prison.

According to court records, Helmick and Biggs assaulted the male child when he came into their care for approximately two years and eight months. Prosecutor Joe Merkle argued in motions filed prior to the trial that the victim had been sexually assaulted at least 50 times over that period.

Biggs and Helmick were cited as co-owners of "Party Time Inflatables" in an article published in the Portsmouth Daily Times in 2016. According to the article, they set up inflatables for events and parties, such as a trunk or treat.

The Daily Independent was unable to find any registration of that business in Kentucky, Ohio or West Virginia, although it did find Helmick was involved in the Red Lion Theater back in the late 2000s. Small blurbs found in The Daily Independent at the time listed Helmick as the "executive artist in residence."

(606) 326-2653 — henry@dailyindependent.com

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