A Prince William judge will allow cameras but no livestream at the October Naresh Bhatt murder trial, a Woodbridge man was sentenced to 40 years in a federal child-exploitation case, and Del. Joshua Cole is preparing to leave the House for a 2027 state Senate run.
Judge allows cameras, not a livestream, at Bhatt trial
According to InsideNoVa, Prince William Circuit Court Judge Kimberly A. Irving on Friday granted a motion from several local media outlets allowing cameras in the courtroom for the upcoming trial of Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man charged with murder after his wife’s 2024 disappearance. NBC4 Washington’s request for a livestream was denied.
Irving issued the rulings during a 3.5-hour pretrial conference Friday afternoon. She approved still photography and short clips for the Prince William Times and InsideNoVa with an “unobtrusive” camera, and allowed NBC4 and partners to record under Virginia statute 19.2-266 for later use. The judge said juror “sanctity” comes first, reserved the right to change the media rules, and said both sides agreed jurors may take notes. The trial remains set for Oct. 5.
Woodbridge man sentenced to 40 years in Snapchat case
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Woodbridge was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material. He pleaded guilty April 2. Prosecutors said that from at least March through October 2020 he used a Snapchat account hacked from a minor to coerce about 41 girls, ages 12 to 17, to send images and join live video calls.
WTOP and InsideNoVa reported he received the maximum term on the federal counts. The Justice Department said Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization, threatened them and their families, and in June 2020 traveled to one victim’s home and recorded an assault. Police later found that video after seizing a phone during a July 2020 altercation at Potomac Mills. The case is a federal sentencing, not a local police blotter item.
Cole looks to Senate 27 as Holmes eyes his House seat
According to the Fredericksburg Free Press, multiple sources confirmed that Del. Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg, will run in 2027 for the 27th state Senate District now held by Republican Sen. Tara Durant instead of seeking another House term. At-large City Councilor Jannan Holmes has already said she intends to run as a Democrat for Cole’s current House District 65, which covers Fredericksburg and parts of Stafford and Spotsylvania.
Cole previously lost to Durant in the 2021 House District 28 race, then returned to the House in 2023 in the redrawn 65th. Holmes is in her first council term after years on the Fredericksburg School Board. Filing and primary dates for the 2027 cycle have not been the focus of the Free Press confirmation.
Sudley Road roundabout work starts at the Old Town gateway
According to InsideNoVa, construction is under way on a more than $5 million project to replace the signal at Sudley Road, Centerville Road and Prescott Avenue with a two-lane roundabout at the gateway into Old Town Manassas. The city is aiming for an October 2027 finish.
The design adds street lighting and pedestrian work, including rectangular rapid flashing beacons, raised medians, connected sidewalks and refuge islands. Drivers should expect reduced capacity, delays and work in the intersection. The city points motorists to manassasva.gov/roundabout for updates.
Stafford ribbon-cuts 19.5-acre Tank Creek Preserve
According to the Fredericksburg Free Press, Stafford officials, Quantico representatives and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust cut the ribbon Wednesday on the Tank Creek Preserve, 19.5 acres next to the south end of Marine Corps Base Quantico and near Widewater State Park. The trust bought the undeveloped parcel from Widewater resident Joyce Arndt for $159,000, its assessed value, after she turned down developer offers at twice that price.
NVCT raised $205,000 for the purchase and easement work. Executive Director Alan Rowsome said the trust has protected more than 200 parcels and nearly 10,000 acres. The tract will not be routinely open to the public; the trust plans scheduled nature walks. Spokeswoman Celena Romero said the land still provides habitat, flood storage and tree cover.
Prince William names new information technology director
According to InsideNoVa, County Executive Chris Shorter has appointed Duane Prophet director of Prince William County’s Department of Information Technology after a national search. The appointment was announced Sept. 24.
The department runs the county’s technology systems that support public-facing services and internal operations. Shorter’s office framed the hire as the close of a competitive search; InsideNoVa’s staff brief did not list a start date in the lede summary.
Battlefield senior appears in Times Square Down syndrome video
According to InsideNoVa, Battlefield High School senior Yohanna Ramirez appeared in Times Square on Sept. 12 as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual video presentation. The New York display features people with Down syndrome from around the world.
The item is a school-community brief, not a county policy change. Ramirez is a Prince William County Public Schools student at Battlefield in Haymarket.
Manassas Board of Equalization sets September and October dates
According to a City of Manassas public notice carried by InsideNoVa, the Board of Equalization will meet at 6 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 9027 Center Street, on Tuesday, Sept. 29; Thursday, Oct. 1; Thursday, Oct. 8; and, if needed, Thursday, Oct. 14.
The board hears complaints of inequalities and acreage errors in city real-estate assessments. Applicants scheduled to appear are to be notified in advance. The hearing site is described as a public facility believed accessible to people with disabilities.
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