LANCASTER – An HIV-positive North Carolina man is facing nine felony charges and eight misdemeanors in connection with the May 6 kidnapping and sexual assault of a girl in Lancaster.
Joseph Kenneth Cornett, 41, was charged Friday with kidnapping to commit rape, assault with intent to commit rape, kidnapping, lewd act upon a child, false imprisonment, sexual penetration by foreign object, attempted forcible rape, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and attempted unprotected sexual activity by one who knows himself to be infected by HIV, according to court records.
Cornett is also charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (PCP) and seven counts of resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer, court records show.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred Wednesday afternoon in East Lancaster.
Sheriff’s officials said Cornett pretended to be a law enforcement officer in order to lure a 15-year-old girl into his vehicle. Cornett allegedly kidnapped the girl from the area of 20th Street East and Avenue J and took her to an abandoned mobile classroom across the street from Lancaster Baptist School where he sexually assaulted her, according to Sgt. Brian Hudson of the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau.
Hudson said the girl managed to escape during the course of the assault and was able to run into the school’s parking lot and get help.
Cornett tried to flee the scene but his vehicle got stuck in the desert about 300 yards away from where the alleged assault took place, Hudson said.
The 41-year-old resisted arrest and deputies had to use a Taser to subdue him, according to a Lancaster Sheriff’s Station crime broadcast.
Cornett was to be arraigned in court Friday, and prosecutors would have requested to raise his bail from $100,000 to $1.2 million. But the arraignment was continued to Monday, May 11, at the Antelope Valley courthouse.
Updated 5.9.15 -Editor’s note: An update to the LASD inmate system shows that Cornett’s bail is now set at $1,415,000.00. This includes $1,275,000 bail for the May 6 incident and a combined total of $140,000 for four previous criminal cases. An address in Charlotte, North Carolina, is listed for Cornett on his May 6 arrest record. However, a previous local arrest record for Cornett in 2013 listed an East Lancaster home address.
Updated 5.11.14: Joseph Cornett pleaded not guilty to all charges today and he is due back in court May 21 for a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.Read our follow-up story here.
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Previous related story: Girl allegedly sexually assaulted near Lancaster school, suspect caught
William says
For those of you that like to pretend that liberals, especially in California are to blame for everything, check this out.
It’s from CNN.com on February 4, 2014
“But Alaska can’t use those caveats as an excuse. A 2010 survey shows 59% of adult women in Alaska experience intimate partner violence, including threats, and/or sexual assault. And 37% suffer from rape or sexual violence.
So, with that in mind, here’s the list of states and Washington, D.C., starting with those where rape is least frequently reported — and ending with Alaska.
Alaska faces its ‘resident evil’
Rates are the number of reported forcible rapes per 100,000 people.
1.New Jersey – 11.7
2.New York – 14.6
3.Virginia – 17.7
4.Vermont – 19.3
5.North Carolina – 20.3
6.Hawaii – 20.5
7.California – 20.6
8.Maryland – 21
9.Wisconsin – 21.3
10.Georgia – 21.4
11.West Virginia – 22.7
12.Massachusetts – 24.7
13.Missouri – 25.1
14.Louisiana – 25.2
15.Indiana – 25.5
16.Connecticut – 25.6
17.Pennsylvania – 26.1
18.Delaware – 26.5
19.Wyoming – 26.7
20.Alabama – 26.9
21.Florida – 27.2
22.Rhode Island – 27.4
23.Mississippi – 27.5
24.Illinois- 27.7
25.Maine – 28
26.Iowa – 28.3
27.Kentucky – 29
28.Oregon – 29.2
29.Texas – 29.6
30.Idaho – 30
31.Minnesota – 30.5
32.Tennessee – 31.5
33.Ohio – 31.7
34.Washington – 31.8
35.Utah – 33
36.Nevada – 33.7
37.New Hampshire – 34
38.Arizona – 34.7
39.South Carolina – 35.5
40.Kansas – 36.5
41.District of Columbia – 37.3
42.Montana – 37.7
43.Nebraska – 38.3
44.North Dakota38.9
45.Colorado – 40.7
46.Oklahoma – 41.6
47.Arkansas – 42.3
48.New Mexico – 45.9
49.Michigan – 46.4
50.South Dakota – 70.2
51.Alaska – 79.7
Yesirree. Republican Alaska and South Dakota lead the nation in rapes per 100,000.
Now, why is that? Don’t those states get to have all the guns they want and ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’ and all that other pretend stuff that their voters think makes them safer?
Of course, Sarah Palin and her grifter family have harmed Alaska way more than all the rape statistics which aren’t as well publicized by fox ‘news’ as her wisdom on all issues foreign and domestic.
Super liberal California is only 7th and Democratic New Jersey, despite a corrupt republican governor, has the least number of reported rapes. I don’t think it’s due to Christie’s leadership. I’m guessing that the thought of Christie and sex turns people off, even rapists. Liberal New York is has the second lowest reported forcible rapes. Imagine that. In between the top and bottom there is a mixture of both red and blue states along the way to the bottom where Alaska wins the prize.
Make you travel plans accodingly. Meanwhile, the right thinks marriage equally is the worst thing since the Great Flood while women getting raped is low on their ‘concern list’. Who’d a thunk it? And, many of those on the right think that those women have to prove that they were legitimately raped according to some of their more idiot members and some want them to carry those pregnancies from rape to term, like they do in some countries where women are treated worse than the cows in India.
In some countries, women are put on a pedestal but in our red states, the government wants to put them in stirrups for an unnecessary trans-vaginal ultrasound and/or a ultrasound that the government wants to keep on file. Yes, yesterday that was reported.
Ladies! Put you foot down. Both of them.
No name says
i have the pic of him how do I post it
DeserTBoB says
You’d BETTER have a REAL pic, and not some prank. This is serious business, and LASD has mug shots of him already, as well as other police agencies. No matter, because you can’t post pix on here anyway, but think…and think again.
Pablo says
I doubt you can post a pic of that guy. Activist will claim it’s discrimination against H.I.V. positive people.
Noemi Pena says
Does anybody know what his face looks like?
Might have a case against him that I should bring up…
Brandon says
Off with his head! !!!!!
adriana says
Havevof you are sick a yaself read it he was high off of PCP not justifying his actions but why at 330 in the afternoon believen he was the police in this M.C the drugs still not justifying it for him had a lot too do with his actions he is dead ass wrong and the god almight him self will make the final judgment on him and will heal this young lady in the process good thing in didn’t get too infected her he didn’t get too make it that far
Debbie says
Chris I am so sorry, perhaps contact our Congressman to get Justice for your baby girl. I hope she is getting help. Being a child victim myself by a family member, I do know that it does not go away until you get help. The child should have known better? Adults can be cunning and persuasive, and this child fell upon a predator. It is not her fault!!! The fact that the man is HIV+ complicates matters, and makes it even harder for the victim to go on living as usual, it is never the same once you have been assaulted, weather he entered her or not, he penetrated her with a foreign object, and who knows what that was. There is no cure for pedophiles, period. In my opinion they should be castrated once thy commit that crime, and left in prison to rot, they are always repeat offenders. But society gives them a 2nd chance, to yet hurt another life. By the way it is has nothing to do with color, as a matter of fact a close friend works with children who have been sexually assaulted and or abused and most believe it or not are White or Hispanic. People stand by and watch kids getting high, frightening one another, disrespecting their elders, selling dope on the streets, a parent assaulting a child and nobody does anything. It is OUR problem as a society, so stand up, make a 911 call, intervene, talk to the kids and tell them right from wrong. We cannot complain and be silent. Make it OUR problem, together we can make a difference. United we stand divided we fall.
jerusha mcdonald says
Why would the paper post this . It’s already a embarrcement that this happened to this girl already why humiliate this girl anymore ?
Noneya says
It’s amazing how ppl can leave comments like it’s a place to vent all their know it all business. 1) when you post and want to sound intelligent, please check your spelling… 2) for the respect of any victim/survivor and their family that may read this, please show some dignity and keep the negative words off the comment section… 3) this child (Yes, she is still a CHILD) does NOT deserve any of your idiotic responses regarding HIV. Before you talk about her life being ruined and never being able to have a family, do your homework and stop talking like an idiot… 4) Chris, I do not know you and I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. Please feel free to attend any one of the monthly meetings the special victims Bureau and the forensics unit gives at Av Hospital. It might help to know that there is an unusually high rate of violent crime in the Antelope Valley and only a couple detectives that have to cover not only us, but all the way down to Santa Clarita as well. Until we come together as a community and demand Council pays more attention to our crime and less attention on saving energy, expect crimes like this to continue to happen.
Dave says
Wow, comments here are about as evil as the guy in custody. AV’s finest fo sho!
Bob says
What’s up liberal Dave? Do you want us to make nice comments about a low life, scum bag monster who keeps getting out of jail because of bleeding heart liberals such as yourself?
Kk says
I’m pretty sure, dumb a bob, that he is talking about the people posting insensitive comments towards the young girl. Stop trying to make everything political numb nut.
leland says
This is a weird a$$ dude i wouldn’t be surprised of his past but that girl Shouldn’t have got in his car even if he lurd her into that burgandy impala she should Have kept walking and if he got out his car she should have ran away from him
tee says
[removed] a bail kill that fool sick bastard
pathetic says
Umm whoever said “I hope he used protection” you gotta be outside if ur mind! She’s shouldnt have been touched AT ALL! ESPECIALLY.. being 15!
Rego says
Thug should be castrated, end it.
jojo says
Sick BASTARD!!! He should get the Death Penalty!! Specially if she gets infected!! Poor Girl…. My prayers go out….
John says
The girl must be a student of the school LBC. Walks from ter home everyday and the guy stalked her out, and planned to use those mobile homes for his crime. The people who own those mobile homes should move them away!
Ummm.... says
Actually, John, those are not mobile homes. They are mobile classrooms belonging to a school district… Don’t know which one, but I agree with you that they should not be so easily accessible…
DeserTBoB says
Quit lying. Those “portables” belong to Lancaster Baptist Cult. They run a drug rehab program there to get free labor around their “campus” and, evidently, this one got away for too long. Why else would he KNOW those portables were NOT in use, and why else would he go BACK there? Lancaster Baptist Cult is DIRTY on this one.
TJ says
She is not an LBC student. He drove her there after getting her in his car. Also, LBC does not own those modulars.
C.E. says
She wasn’t kidnapped by the LBC, but over by 20th and J. Read the article.
Maybe from says
Those Mobile classrooms popped up after the completion of a new project of 40th street near ave K
DeserTBoB says
That’s because they indeed belong to Lancaster Baptist Cult…you know, the joint that runs the illegal church/school buses out there? The one whose attendance is dropping through the floor due to “white flight” out of the AV now going on?
Jonathan says
A) I thought those modulars were part of a Chinese school when they opened trade stuff. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lancaster-china-20131027-story.html#page=1)
B) If they’re dropping attendance how do they keep constructing those freakin huge fancy buildings?
Michael says
Wow.. I thought the guy deserved a lot of time but HIV+ wow.. that’s so sad I feel sorry for that girl honestly I pray he used protection cause that would be really sad
J. Ripper says
I think the point is he DIDN’T use protection, hence the charges.
Nancy P says
ATTEMPTED RAPE, ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT. That guy needs to go to jail for a long time. What a terrible person for attempting to infect this young woman. I hope her family gets her the counseling she needs as a victim of this violent criminal act.
Bob says
Now I’m sure some liberal judge will feel sorry for him and he’ll be out of prison in no time to re-offend.
Rob says
yep, welcome to the AV
PublicSafetyFirst says
No, that’s welcome to California where they think getting housing for sex offenders and not restricting them will better protect the public; where too many judges and legislators place the “rights” of offenders above law abiding citizens releasing Sexually Violent Predators on a gamble they won’t reoffend. We need to start demanding that both Democrats and Republicans stand with us and not offenders. On this issue, I will point my fingers and the Democratic party for their “time served move on” or “well they need to live somewhere” mentality with sex offenders. On this issue there is no compromise; I will never vote for a candidate who would even consider “rights” of sex offenders over public safety. Make this an issue at every election and let all candidates/political parties know they will not receive voter support unless they stand with the public! Sex Offenders have ACLU;CARSOL/Janice Bellucci. We just have ourselves, but we are greater in number and we need to organize. Be persistent and make calls demanding greater protections. Call Chairman Quirk of the Assembly Public Safety Committee:(916) 319-2020 or Assemblyman Lackey:(916) 319-2036. Tell them you want specific legislation getting and keeping sex offenders off the streets. Lackey has already tried to give us protection from placement of SVPs, so I am confident is his support.
Kim says
Are you referring to Lackey’s bill (AB 262) that will force people labeled S3xually Violent Predators within 10 miles of a police station? In other words in the middle of town? THAT is a real winner! It is not yet dead but on life support.
You are entitled to your vote. Personally, I would never vote a candidate who puts anything (most of all the PERCEPTION of Public Safety) over the basic rights that the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights afford to all. And I thank those who protect these very rights, even for the people we do not care for.
sick of evil scum living says
This nasty, evil, ignorant, sick in the head perverted, waist of life low life needs to get his and pay for not only being a sick scum bag predator but hes a evil [removed] that has no reason to live on earth with us and took a innocent childs youth and life if he infected her. I’m tired of seeing these evil ghetto, ignorant, no soul scum in our valley. Kids can’t be kids, people can’t feel safe, life can’t be embraced and lived to the fullest because its taken for to many shortly and or corrupted by evil making it hard to enjoy or even live free like we deserve. Go to hell and rot if u want but let us humans with souls live u sick ass monsters need to die off already
sjgranai says
The one thing we have is the availability of PeP (post-exposure prophylaxis). Anti-retroviral medication that is used in HIV+ patients to keep the virus from replicating. It will help her chances of NOT becoming HIV+.
Also, being HIV+ is not a death sentence….the CDC classifies it as a chronic manageable disease…..similar to diabetes classification. There are kids in the AV that are positive. We just don’t talk about it.
My heart goes out to this young girl and I applaud her strength to fight back and get away.
If she does become positive….please know you are not alone and there is a lot of people and programs to help you get through all of this.
Please..makes sure this child is on PeP….the hospitals out here aren’t real smart when it comes to the virus. Go to a LA hospital…UCLA if you can…and let them give her the best shot at staying negative. Don’t wait….72hours is the window to combat this the best.
PublicSafetyFirst says
First, I appreciate your support for the HIV community and sharing your knowledge in the hopes it may help this girl and others! However, I disagree to the extent that you state HIV is not a death sentece…it is a death sentence. Diabetic people die of complications associated with Diabetes and the same goes for HIV. Also, you can’t transfer diabetes through sexual contact. If she is positive this will negatively impact her ability to find a partner; have a family, her physical and mental health. This monster did quite possibly give her the death penalty. Support her absolutely, but minimize the effects of HIV and what this monster did, no.
DeserTBoB says
There is a HUGE disconnect between the gay community and reality, mostly in the teenage to mid-20s age group, due to complacency caused by the frothy advisements mounted by Gilead, one of the biggest of Big Pharma, who makes of the “one-size-fits-all” anti-HIV tricyclic, Truvada, which is becoming obsolete. Like all Big Pharma ripoffs, Gilead is making BILLIONS IN PROFIT off of HIV drugs…they do NOT want a cure, just like the cancer drug makers will stifle ANY attempt at a cure for cancer….there’s TOO MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE. Now, they spread this mollifying idea that “It’s OK to poz up….just take a pill! (one of OURS, of course.) The proof of their success in this is that HIV-1 infection rates are skyrocketing among 13-24 year old gay or bisexual men, worst rise in infection since 1986, according to the CDC. Older (and wiser) men aren’t buying it. And yes, HIV IS a death sentence. Skip your meds for about a year, and you WILL have a 1 in 3 chance in developing full blown AIDS, JUST like the old days. Oh..and who PAYS for all that Truvada out there? THE TAXPAYERS…like ME! Gilead has a lot of lobbyists on their payroll, as you might guess. PReP? A joke…the REAL FDA trials data? It only lessens the chance on infection by 51%…but their ADS say 95% (in the VERY TINY SMALL print, it says, “…while using condoms and while monogamous with an HIV negative partner.” Yeah, RIGHT! And, the FDA’s going along with this. Gilead has bought off the right people in the right places, obviously.
DeserTBoB says
Truvada PEP and PReP is a scam. PReP only protects the recipient at a 51% lesser chance of infection with a known poz partner. PEP is scarcely any better. HIV is NOT like diabetes, and antiviral meds are a BITCH to live with. If you think PReP’s going to keep you neg, think again….it’s not. [removed]
J says
Not only will this little girl have to live with the trauma of what she went through, she will also have the fear of becoming HIV+…I highly doubt the guy used any protection…They should charge him with murder…
J. Ripper says
The previous article said she was able to break free during the assault… HOPEFULLY this means the guy didn’t have a chance to get his rocks off… thus greatly reducing the chance of infection.
John says
She wasn’t a Little Girl at 15 years old She should have been socially mature for not using common sense! She should have been able to tell if the man was a police officer. The parents and the school she attended should have had discussions and posted Red Flag warnings to the child much earlier in life. Maybe the school and parents.
Tina says
Are you serious? This girl was kidnapped and tortured and you blame her for this?
Shelley says
You must be a sex offender. Or just an ignorant dumb ass. How can you even utter the words that she is to blame. I hope you don’t have children. Grown people are deceived by people pretending to be a police officer. Something is wrong with you that you could even blame a kid for being kidnapped and raped.
seriously says
I bet you think she was asking for it by what she was wearing too?SMH YOUR PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THIS WORLD!
DeserTBoB says
Since WHEN is it the responsibility of public schools to raise children? NEVER. The purpose of public education is to EDUCATE in academics, something that our local school are BARELY able to do, if at all. Making good decisions and a moral compass is squarely the province of THE PARENTS. Bad kids usually come from bad parents, although there are exceptions.
DeserTBoB says
AGAIN, the ignorance of the Antelope Valley is on display for all to see. For over 10 years now, the state of California has a statute in the Penal Code that makes knowingly infecting or attempting to infect anyone with a sexually transmitted life threatening disease A FELONY. Add the rape charge, and he’ll get an automatic life with no parole…despite what the right wing douchenozzles who post on here think.
Lisa says
Shame on him…Nasty bastard…..
John says
Maybe this Sunday,the church and the congregation should pray for the victim’s welfare and the criminal’s hope of finding God!
DeserTBoB says
Maybe the “cultists” (you call ’em “congregation”) should start hoisting Chappell by his own petard about him running a sketchy “drug treatment program” out of those portables stashed over there. Despite the attempts by some Lancaster Baptist Cultists on here to try to deflect any blame, they do INDEED own those, and I just got confirmation that they were using them as “flophouses” for their addicts who work for free around the campus. Existence of this program and the use of the portables has just been verified by a Lockheed employee familiar with the program.
CHRIS says
Special victims unit is slow, my 5yr old was sexually assaulted here in the A.V. almost one year ago and nothing has been done, I am lucky if they call me back. What is the reason for that Mr. Hudson
Chistina says
By a stranger in the av? I’m so sorry to hear that about your Baby Girl :(
Anonymous says
I also put in a report for being held hostage and raped and nothing has happened so far. It’s been almost a year with nothing happening. And I’m 16. This happened when I was 15 by two adults and two minors. I wish you the best of luck. And pray you got your daughter a therapist because a traumatizing event like that should not be left alone.