PORTSMOUTH POLICE ARREST MEN FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
PORTSMOUTH POLICE, VA — On April 24, 2023, detectives with the Portsmouth Police Special Victims Unit investigated a sexual assault and subsequently arrested 31-year-old James Clayton Wentworth, of Portsmouth, and 46-year-old Franklin James Basham, of Norfolk. Wentworth was charged with multiple counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery, Indecent Liberties with a Child, Cruelty to Children, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. Basham was charged with Possession of Child Pornography. Basham is an employee of Virginia Beach Public Schools. Both men are members of the Civil Air Patrol. Both are currently being held at the Portsmouth City Jail.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, you are encouraged to contact the Portsmouth Police Special Victims Unit at 757–393–8536. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact the Crime Line at 1–888-LOCK-U-UP. You can also reach the Crime Line at **TIPS (**8477). Callers can also submit an anonymous tip through the Crime Line’s “P3 Tips” app or visit their website at www.portscrimeline.com. As always, Crime Line tipsters are never asked to give their names or required to testify in court. If a crime line caller’s tip leads to an arrest or the recovery of drugs or stolen property they could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000.
