James recounts years-long journey of child sex crime case

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

The last year-and-a-half has been the hardest time of Faith James’ life.

Now 20, James was the victim of a child sex crime when she was 13. Her assailant was the father of her half-siblings, Anthony Sizemore, who was found guilty of child molestation on March 12 in a Stone County Circuit Court bench trial. On Friday, he was sentenced by Judge Alan Blankenship to 8 years in the Department of Corrections. An appeal has been filed, and Sizemore has been released on a $10,000 appeal bond with the conditions he may not have any contact with minors other than his biological children, and no contact with the victim.

“This has been one of the hardest things ever,” James said. “I was really in disbelief that could happen, and I never thought it could.”

James disclosed the crime at the time it happened, but at that point, elected not to file charges.

“When charges weren’t filed, I felt overlooked,” she said. “We just acted like it didn’t happen and wasn’t a big deal, but on the inside, I knew it was a big deal and something really bad that happened. I decided I didn’t want to press charges because I was really scared. I knew what happened to me, but I knew the statute of limitations was forever, so I thought I would deal with it later. Now, looking back, I wonder why that was even an option, to be left up to a 13-year-old?”

Four years after the assault, James went back to the Sheriff’s Office and reinitiated the process to press charges. During that period, things were difficult, she said.

“I would think about it all the time, especially when I would lay down to go to sleep,” James said. “I would think about why we acted like nothing happened and how the person who did this to me just gets to live their life like nothing happened. When I did file charges, I was a big kid. When I was little, I thought a lot about how it could affect my siblings. I’ve known others this has happened to, and people were mean to them. As I got older, I realized I would rather my siblings hate me than to have to go through something like this. I thought maybe I could prevent it by telling my story. It became less about how I felt and more about protecting others.”

James also said as she got older, she felt more and more like the situation needed to be dealt with. And, over that time, she had to face a whirlwind of emotions.

“I had all kinds of a range of emotions,” she said. “It was really hard to deal with. I thought if I just removed myself from Cassville, it wouldn’t be as hard, which is why I went to school in Kansas. But, that didn’t help. I thought a lot about what if people didn’t believe me? I was sad for the people I knew it would affect, but I was fighting everything in my head. I eventually thought, you don’t get to do something horrifying to a child and not have any repercussions. There are plenty of kids people have access to, and they shouldn’t, so it became about other people.”

That focus on others and possibly preventing any similar situations in the future was what pushed James to pursue charges, but filing them, she said, did not make things easier.

“The last year-and-a-half has been the hardest of my life,” she said. 

James attended the two-day jury trial in Stone County in March, but as a witness who took the stand, she did not get to be in the courtroom the whole time. And, after closing arguments, she did not want to be.

“When they went to recess before the verdict, I left,” she said. “I couldn’t be in the room because I did not know how I would handle it if the verdict went the other way. I had a friend that was there who kept calling me and calling me, but I didn’t want to answer. Finally, I did, and it was the prosecutor on the line who told me the judge found [Sizemore] guilty. Then, I cried a lot. 

“I had a lot of questions and anxiety if what we had was enough to get a conviction in our judicial system. I remember fighting that feeling and trying to figure it out. And, I’m happy he was found guilty, but my heart breaks because there are people I know who will be affected negatively by this. But, I keep telling myself that’s not my fault. He was a grown man that made his own decision. It wasn’t something I did, and he is getting the justice he deserves.”

James said she had multiple supporters in the courtroom at the jury trial, which really sunk in when she took the stand.

“It was surreal to have that many people there for me,” she said. “It made me feel less alone, because I wasn’t.”

Through all of the emotions, fears, trauma and anxiety in recent years, James said her advice to others in similar situations is to find their courage.

“Don’t be scared, and understand it will be really hard,” she said. “As a victim, it is about you, but you also have to be strong for other people — stand up against the evil acts that others do, and do something to stop it from happening to other people.”

With the case adjudicated, James is now looking toward her future and the road of recovery ahead.

“There’s been a lot of counseling,” she said. “I tried for a while to go without it, but that wasn’t working. I have some stuff I need to work through and try to deal with that’s been in the back of my head for years. I have to remind myself often not to feel guilty.

“Now, I can just live my life. When I was around Cassville, I don’t know if people believed my story, but a judge believed me, and that’s all that matters.”

A state champion wrestler in her senior year, James is now studying biomedical science at Missouri State University, with ambitions of becoming a physician assistant. She said through high school and her collegiate journey, there were two things that made a positive impact amid the mental struggles.

“Every time I stepped on a [wrestling mat] or went to a martial arts class, I didn’t have a problem in the world,” she said. “Or, when I was locked in on school work and got my brain to lock in, that helped. I am forever grateful I had those outlets.”

On Friday, James read her victim impact statement in court prior to the sentencing. A full transcript of the statement follows:

Thank you, Your Honor, for allowing me this opportunity to address the court today.

My name is Faith, and I’m a survivor of sexual abuse by Anthony Sizemore. When I was just thirteen years old, Anthony Sizemore, the man who was the closest thing I had to a father at the time, and the father of my two youngest siblings, violated me in the most disgusting way. ln the middle of the night, while I was sleeping, I woke up to Anthony Sizemore’s fingers inside my vagina. That moment shattered my childhood, my sense of safety, and my trust in the world.

Anthony Sizemore stole something from me that night, and I can never get it back.

He had known me since I was a little girl. I was still a little girl. That betrayal hurts me more deeply than I can ever fully explain. Because of Anthony Sizemore, I have lived with constant fear and discomfort for the last seven years. It’s hard to sleep without fear taking me captive. If someone wakes me up, my body automatically goes into panic. If someone even walks into my room, my heart drops. I have struggled with what I wear to bed. I spent most of what was left of my childhood wearing spandex under every piece of clothing I put on. The nightmares don’t stop. The anxiety doesn’t leave. I spent most of my teenage years self-harming because of the disgust that Anthony Sizemore made me feel about myself. And I can only imagine the impact this will have on my relationship with my siblings in the future.

Anthony Sizemore has shown no remorse. Not once. Instead of owning what he did, he called me a liar. This was not an accident. This was not a mistake. This was deliberate. Anthony Sizemore is a sexual deviant and a predator. He has repeatedly put himself around young children even after what he did to me. He is exactly who he is, a man who preys on the vulnerable, and I was just the first one brave enough to stand up and face him. Others have shared their disgusting experiences with him, and I know there would be more if they felt safe.

The system failed me. Anthony Sizemore was allowed to roam free for years. He has violated the expectations of his bond. He does not respect this court. He does not respect the law. A narcissistic man like Anthony Sizemore only cares about himself. His freedom, his image, his ability to continue without consequences.

Your Honor, I have paid the price of Anthony Sizemore’s crime every single day for the last seven years, and I will continue paying it for the rest of my life. My mental health, my relationships, my ability to feel safe in my own skin, all of it has been compromised because of Anthony Sizemore.

Tony,

You hurt me. You have shown zero remorse, zero accountability, and zero humanity. You are a terrible person who is a danger to anyone who meets you. You disgust me. You are a predator. The morning after you molested me, you asked me a question: “Are you going to ruin my life?” I said yes, and that wasn’t the truth. The truth is, you ruined your life. You did this. The reason you are here today is because of you. No matter what Judge Blankenship decides, I hope you every time you fall asleep and every time you wake up, you think about how this is all your fault. I hope you’re reminded of the effect your actions will forever have on the lives of [your children].

Your Honor, I pray you will not fail me. I ask that you make Anthony Sizemore an example, that this court takes child sex crimes seriously. Lock him away and show the world that people like Anthony Sizemore cannot keep getting away with destroying lives.

I was thirteen. I was a little girl. I deserved protection. Today, I ask this court to give me justice. 

Thank you, Your Honor.