Sex charges among Wise County grand jury indictments

WISE — A Norton woman and a Coeburn man have been indicted on sex-related charges by a Wise County grand jury.The panel on Wednesday returned indictments against 33 people with a total of 84 charges, including 33 drug-related charges against 21 of those indicted.Rebecca Lynn French, 35, Norton, faces nine felony charges of child solicitation by communication system and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The charges stem from alleged acts during October 2019. Each of the solicitation charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, and the delinquency charge a maximum 12-month jail sentence and/or a $2,500 fine.Dale John Garrigan, 51, Coeburn, was indicted on 14 felony charges of failure by a sexually violent felon to register accounts on a second or subsequent offense. The charges follow from the period of Aug. 22, 2019 to January 20, 2020, during which time prosecutors claim Garrigan failed to register electronic mail address information, instant message, chat or other Internet communication name or identity under Virginia sex offender and crimes against minors registry law.Each of the charges against Garrigan carries a maximum 10-year prison term.In another case, Michael Brandon Lintz, 31, Norton, was indicted on 10 charges stemming from an April 27, 2019 incident, including one felony count each of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.Prosecutors alleged that Lintz assaulted three women during the incident.Lintz also faces one misdemeanor count of reckless handling of a firearm, four misdemeanor counts of brandishing a firearm, two misdemeanor charges of assault and battery, and one misdemeanor charge of assault and battery of a family member. Each of the firearm charges carries a maximum 12-month jail term and/or a $2,500 fine upon conviction. The three assault charges carry a maximum $12-month jail sentence.