MERCER COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A 51-year-old Mercer County man is facing serious criminal charges following an investigation into allegations of repeated sexual abuse of a female victim over more than a year.
According to a criminal complaint, the case centers around incidents that occurred between 2024 and 2025 involving a female victim who was 12 and 13 years old at the time.
The victim disclosed details of the alleged abuse during a forensic interview at Child Protect of Mercer County in March.
The complaint states that in February 2025, the girl visited Charles J. Dudding’s home at the request of a mutual friend.
Once there, she reported that Dudding blocked her when she attempted to leave and coerced her into his bedroom under the pretense of retrieving marijuana.
Once inside the room, the victim said Dudding physically restrained her, sexually assaulted her, and threatened her life with a knife when she resisted.
She also recounted multiple other instances of abuse, both at Dudding’s home and her own, where he allegedly exchanged items such as marijuana and cigarettes for sexual acts.
On May 7, 2025, deputies from the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department were called to the girl’s home after her mother found Dudding in the victim’s locked bedroom.
Investigators say the girl admitted to allowing Dudding inside in exchange for marijuana, which she turned over to deputies.
Dudding has been charged with First Degree Sexual Assault, Third Degree Sexual Assault, and First Degree Sexual Abuse.
Dudding is currently at Southern Regional Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
