Most people — myself included — know Faith James for her accomplishments on the wresting mat, but for the last seven years, she has been wrestling with a different opponent.

At 13, James woke up in the middle of the night to a trusted individual in her household committing an act that has stuck with her since. Now 20 years old, James has received justice.

Our top story this week recounts her experiences over that period of time. Amidst the heartbreak, however, is story of resilience, determination and courage she hopes others will recognize and be inspired by.

I have written columns before about sexual assault in Barry County. It happens staggeringly often, and it’s not what you might see on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” where the victim is attacked in an alleyway, drugged or kidnapped.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, especially in cases involving children, the perpetrator is someone the victim knows, and more often than not, trusts.

I saw the probable cause statement against Anthony Sizemore the week the change was filed back in September 2024. As such statements go, it was an odd one to me. The charges were being filed four years after the incident, and the incident was reported at the time it occurred. I hesitated to report it for that reason. Why were charges not filed in 2020, I thought.

Fast forward a few months and I was in the midst of reporting another series of sex crimes when James reached out to me asking why Sizemore’s went unreported. At the time, I had no idea she was the victim.

A family member of James’ asked me about the case again in February 2025. It was at that point I was able to connect the dots, and it floored me.

Throughout all of her high school years, James had been dealing with the effects of being assaulted in her own home. Trouble sleeping and fear when someone entered her room at night were just two of the consequences of Sizemore’s actions.

At the time she was assaulted — at age 13 — she said it was left up to her whether or not to file charges. That compounded the confusion and myriad of emotions. It was a position she should have never been in. 

Sizemore’s excuse at the time is that he was wrestling with James and accidentally touched her vagina and he “could tell that he had hurt her by the look on her face.”

James, on the other hand, said she was asleep at the time Sizemore committed his actions. The fact the stories varied so greatly should have been enough for charges to be filed at that time.

Asking a young teenager to put her family at risk by pursuing charges against the father of her half-siblings is not something any 13-year-old should be compelled to do. The system, at that point, failed her.

Yet, James is resilient. Four years later, before the statute of limitations had expired, her courage shined through.

She chose to reinitiate the process and move forward with charges, even if it meant losing important people in her life or causing division among loved ones. She felt it was the right thing to do because it wasn’t about her, it was about others who have suffered the same experience.

In February of 2024, James won a state wrestling championship. It was her senior year, and she was on the warpath. It was incredible to watch and an honor to be a part of. My favorite sports photo of all time is the moment she won that title.

That fact that through all of that she was managing a lingering trauma that still affected her daily — that’s astounding.

What’s just as astounding is that she wants to tell her story. I have never written an article centered on the victim of a child sex crime after a case had been adjudicated. As someone who knows multiple women who have been sexually assaulted in the past, I hope sharing her story inspires those who have been through a similar ordeal to speak out if they can, or if that is not possible, confide in someone who can help.

Courage can be hard to come by, which is why James’ story is so important. She is not alone — especially in Barry County.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He is a three-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or [email protected].