Military Defense Contractor Arrested for Crimes Against Child
Robert Ross Rigsby, a senior manager at SES Space & Defense, was arrested on multiple warrants charging him with indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery involving a victim younger than 13. He turned himself in at police headquarters and was booked into jail on Thursday afternoon.
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UPDATE 02/17/2026 Rigsby has been arrested on new charges following a direct indictment. He was again taken into custody at his residence on Pintail Path in Newport News, Virginia, and subsequently booked into the local jail. Bond may be more difficult to secure during this second arrest. Previously, Rigsby had been facing a single charge after three others were nolle prosequi; however, with additional charges now filed, he could be facing the possibility of incarceration.
| RIGSBY, ROBERT R. | 6ft 0in | 175 lbs | BRO | BLU | 09/29/1964 | 61 | M | W | 02/10/2026 | AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY: VICTIM <13 YRS |
| RIGSBY, ROBERT R. | 6ft 0in | 175 lbs | BRO | BLU | 09/29/1964 | 61 | M | W | 02/10/2026 | INDECENT LIBERTIES: W/CHILD BY PARENT/ETC |
Robert Rigsby Mugshot 2/17/2026
Rigsby trial set for May 7, 2026
Defence attorney: Timothy Clancy https://clancywalterlaw.com/
UPDATE 10/31/2025 Rigsby drops Richard Fiorella with Larry King Law and hires Timothy Clancy.
UPDATE 10/22/2025 Three of the four charges against Rigsby were dropped (Nolle prosequi) Wednesday at the preliminary hearing. Prison time for this single crime of attempted aggravated sexual battery with no criminal history is unlikely. If found guilty, probation and/or sex offender registry would be more in line with sentencing guidlines.Will update the trial date when the Virginia courts database comes online.
UPDATE 8/8/2025 Rigsby did post bond and was released from custody last night. His next court date is scheduled for Oct 22 which is the preliminary. The preliminary hearing is to determine if there's enough evidence to take the case to trial.
Check back later today for updates
UPDATE 7/28/2025 Rigsby has a bond hearing scheduled for 8/7/2025. Richard Fiorella with Larry King Law is listed as Rigsby's attorney. Larry King is well known in the area and will likely convince the judge to release the defendant on bond.
WATCH as Sheriff Gabe Morgan takes us for a tour of one of the cell bocks at the Newport News City Jail after an escape attempt earlier this month.
According to a LinkedIn page, Rigsby relocated to Newport News from Fayetteville, North Carolina where he worked as a circuit engineer at Fort Bragg for 20+ years. Fort Bragg is a major military installation known as the "Home of the Airborne and Special Operations" located just north of Fayetteville.
Rigsby was charged with 3 counts of aggravated sexual battery (victim < 13) and 2 counts of indecent act with custodian. According to court records, the alleged crimes occurred on Sept 14, 2021.
Robert Rigsby is referenced in two pages on the SES Space & Defense website where he goes by Robert “Rigs” Rigsby.
- https://sessd.com/gsr/latency-the-largest-adversary-facing-advanced-technologies-in-the-army/
- https://sessd.com/gsr/army-fighting-with-the-gloves-off-mpower/
Robert Ross Rigsby's Personal Details
- Sep 29, 1964
- Pine Forest High School
- https://www.facebook.com/robert.rigsby.94
- Studied Music, at University of North Carolina at Pembroke (1983)
Robert Ross Rigsby's Employment History
- 2018 - current Senior Manager Defense Networks at SES Space & Defense
- 2018 - Feb 2025 Senior Director Integrated Development at SES-GS
- 1996 - 2018 Branch Chief Spectrum Management Circuit Engineering at J.S.O.C. Fort Bragg NC
- 2013 Stationed in Afghanistan
Recent Arrest and Warrant Activity
| Name | Data | City | State | Address | Type | Timestamp | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIGSBY ROBERT R Background Check |
RIGSBY ROBERT R.6ft 0in175 lbsBROBLU09/29/19646 0MW07/14/2025AGGRAVA TED SEXUAL BATTERY: VICTIM <13 YRS---NEWPORT-NEWS-V A |
NEWPORT-NEWS | VA | WARRANT | 2025-07-15 16:59:42 | ||
| RIGSBY ROBERT R Background Check |
RIGSBY ROBERT R.6ft 0in175 lbsBROBLU09/29/19646 0MW07/14/2025INDECEN T LIBERTIES: W/CHILD BY PARENT/ETC---NEWPORT -NEWS-VA |
NEWPORT-NEWS | VA | WARRANT | 2025-07-15 17:00:30 | ||
| RIGSBY ROBERT R Background Check |
202500452807/24/2025 17:159700 JEFFERSON AVE NN 23605RAPE: INTERCOURSE BY FORCE OR VICTIM HELPLESSNESS-ATTEMPT RIGSBY ROBERT R.6ft 0in175 lbsWM60 SOUTHJ. QUILES---NEWPORT-NEW S-VA |
NEWPORT-NEWS | VA | 9700 JEFFERSON AVE NN 23605 |
ARREST | 2025-07-25 08:44:45 |
This is a developing story, check back soon for updates.
This case is very similar to an in depth story we did on Robert Raymond Dessoffy a few months ago who's scheduled to be in court next week. The two are nearly the same age, are both well off financially and accused of similar crimes against the same age (range) victim which allegedly took place several years ago. Unconfirmed reports claim Dessoffy was attacked while at the Newport News Jail, likely due to the nature of his charges. Police Ping was turned down when we requested public records regarding the alleged attack read more
Arresting officer was listed as being J Quiles
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