45 years later, 'Uncle Raggy,' ex-youth minister, indicted in sexual abuse case
A former youth minister has been indicted on a sexual abuse charge stemming from an alleged incident that took place nearly 45 years ago. Dural Reece Ragsdale, 71, known as "Uncle Raggy" on his now shuttered YouTube channel, turned himself in to the Tishomingo County Jail Monday afternoon. He was charged with fondling, a felony.
Ragsdale was indicted by a Tishomingo grand jury last month.
District Attorney John Weddle said, according to the indictment, the abuse occurred sometime between Jan. 1, 1974, and Dec. 31, 1975. The victim was under the age of 14 at the time.
During that time frame, Ragsdale was a youth minister at Iuka United Methodist Church in Iuka.
Weddle said it was unusual to have a case dating back 40 years. But, he said, the range given for the estimated time of abuse is "not uncommon" for a case that old.
"It's very difficult for an adult who was a child when it happened to be able to pinpoint the exact date," he said.
The charge does not fall under the statute of limitations, Weddle said, citing Mississippi code 99-1-5 that states the "passage of time" does not bar prosecution against sexual battery of a child.
"There are some cases where the statue of limitation doesn't bar prosecution and this would be one of them," he said.
"Just because you have a case that old, our office is not making any judgment about the validity or invalidity," Weddle said. "We've got a grand jury that felt like there was enough to go forward so that's what we're doing...it will get put on the trial docket pretty soon and we'll try to fig...
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Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director