Title: Self-proclaimed vampire indicted on 35 charges against teen girls

Source: The Virginian-Pilot, 4/2/96

NOTICE: The following material is copyrighted as indicated in the body of text.  It has been posted to this web page for archival purposes, and in doing so, no claim of authorship is expressed or implied, nor is a profit being made from the use of the material.

Pilot Online - NEWS

NEWS - April 2, 1996

Self-proclaimed vampire indicted on 35 charges against teen girls

BY JUNE ARNEY, The Virginian-Pilot
Copyright 1996, Landmark Communications Inc.

VIRGINIA BEACH -- A grand jury on Monday indicted self-proclaimed vampire Jon C. Bush on 35 charges related to his alleged activities with nine teenage girls.

The crimes against victims aged 13 to 16 included: one rape, 11 counts of carnal knowledge, nine counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, eight counts of crimes against nature, and six counts of indecent liberties. Thirty- three of those charges came in the form of direct indictments without a judge first finding probable cause.

The crimes allegedly occurred between Nov. 1, 1995, and Jan. 31, 1996, and a dozen of them involve one girl.

Bush, 26, is being held without bond in the Virginia Beach city jail.

The indictments were a relief to police, who have interviewed about 30 youths in the Bush case.

``Now we've got it on paper,'' said Virginia Beach Detective Don Rimer. ``It's not just people talking to people. This is the first big step.''

The indictments included rape and carnal knowledge charges for which a juvenile judge found probable cause last month. In one of those cases, a 16-year-old girl testified that Bush held her down and threatened her life as he raped her in his bedroom on Dec. 22. In the other, a 13-year-old girl testified that she had oral sex with Bush in his car on Jan. 6.

One indictment was for the carnal knowledge of the 13-year-old victim, a charge dismissed by Juvenile Judge Woodrow Lewis Jr. in March when he did not find probable cause. Prosecutors then took their case directly to the grand jury, which issued the indictment.

The victim in that case testified that she could not remember details of a New Year's Eve party at which she had been drinking bourbon. She said she remembered going back to Bush's room the night of the party but couldn't recall what happened after that.

Bush also has misdemeanor and felony charges pending in Chesapeake.

He is the professed leader of a 30-member vampire ``family'' that, police say, required female initiates to submit to sexual contact with him. Male members were simply ``marked,'' or bitten hard enough to leave a bruise or impression.

Police say Bush encouraged the recruitment of school-age girls to take part in a lifestyle based loosely on the fantasy role-playing game ``Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.'' Game players assume the roles of ancient vampires and, through political and physical struggles, try to conquer their adversaries.

In many cases, Bush's interactions with his followers occurred in social settings like parties, police have said.

Members sometimes painted their faces white and their lips and left-handed fingernails black for excursions into malls or to the Oceanfront. Sometimes the ``family'' would surround Bush in a protective circle as they walked. Bush, who often wore snap-on fangs, would walk with his hands folded in an X across his chest.