Bealeton woman gets 40 years in prison for child sexual exploitation, Culpeper boyfriend pleads guilty in federal case

Anna Grace Layher, 27, pleaded guilty in May to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria.

Davey Johnathan Sisk, 29, was arrested in February and pleaded guilty in June to two counts of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child and receiving child pornography, according to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville.

In 2023 and 2024, Layher produced sexually explicit videos and images of two children, ages 3 and 6, both of whom were family members, according to a Friday news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria. She sent the videos to Sisk, who prosecutors say pressured her into making the explicit videos.

“As appalling as Ms. Layher’s behavior was, she was not the one directing the production of the images,” the court documents state. “Mr. Sisk insistently and relentlessly requested the horrific images.

“Without fail, he exploited his understanding of Ms. Layher’s unhealthy attachment to him in making his demands — alternately threatening to withhold his affection (which she placed an inordinate value on) and threatening to ruin her life. Mr. Sisk orchestrated and directed the criminal conduct, making it far worse than that of Ms. Layher,” the court documents said.

Sisk, a former prison guard at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, will be sentenced on Oct. 21. He faces up to 40 years in prison, according to the news release.

“Davey Johnathan Sisk is a recognized child molester,” HSI Washington, DC, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon said in a statement.

“He has taken advantage of the most vulnerable members of our community. We will not allow such predatory criminals to continue to operate unhindered. HSI Washington, DC will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by investigating and arresting anyone involved in such disturbing and heinous activities.”

In the plea agreement, Sisk stated that he understood his defense attorney would have the opportunity to raise mitigating factors in sentencing and that he would have an opportunity to address the court at that time.

According to HSI Harrisonburg’s investigation, between June 2023 and February 2024, Sisk used a social media app to coerce Layher into taking and sending him videos and photos of the two children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

“Anna Grace Layher appears before the court for sentencing having admitted and accepted responsibility for her serious misconduct. Ms. Layher recognizes the seriousness of her misconduct, acknowledges the harm her actions have caused her children, and understands that the court is obligated to impose a lengthy sentence,” the court documents state.

“As damaging as Ms. Layher’s conduct was, it must be viewed through the lens of her mental health profile, which contextualizes her susceptibility to manipulation and is at the heart of her participation in these horrific acts. Given this background, Ms. Layher, through her attorney, argues that a 15-year prison sentence followed by a period of supervised release will meet the sentencing goals in this case.”

The court not only sentenced her to 40 years in prison, but also imposed a period of conditional release for the rest of her life.

Her parents said in a letter to the court: “We encouraged Anna the first time we spoke to her after her arrest in February that the Lord made no mistake when he chose her for our family and we flew to Russia to adopt her and bring her home. Her life story is far from written … Your Honor, Anna and we sincerely regret what she has done and the harm done to our precious grandchildren … she is prepared to face the consequences of her actions. We ask for clemency and mercy in sentencing.”

Sisk also admitted in separate communications from 2021-22 that during that period he made payments via Snapchat to a 15-year-old girl in Texas in exchange for numerous sexually explicit images and videos, including one featuring another minor child.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, the minor sold videos and images of these sexual encounters through various apps on the Internet.

Sisk’s public defender, Abigail Thibeault, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on behalf of her client. She represented Sisk until earlier this month but recently withdrew as his attorney to accept a position with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission.

Sisk will continue to be represented by Andrea Harris of the Federal Public Defenders Office in Charlottesville, according to court documents. Harris declined to comment on her client’s behalf Tuesday.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Project Safe Childhood, led by the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit, uses federal, state and local resources to better identify, apprehend and prosecute those who exploit children online, and to identify and rescue victims, the release said. See justice.gov/psc.

Anyone with information about child abuse material or other crimes is urged to contact the HSI tip line at 877/447-4847. Callers may remain anonymous.