A Christiansburg man will spend decades in prison following a case that began with a woman going to a local hotel hoping to end a relationship and ended with a lengthy criminal sentence.
Joseph Nathan Penn was sentenced Wednesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court after being convicted earlier this year in connection with an assault at a Christiansburg hotel.
Penn received a total sentence of 50 years, although he will ultimately serve 35 years in prison. The remaining portions of the sentence were suspended. After his release, he will also be placed on probation for 10 years and required to register as a sex offender.
The case dates back to October 23, 2025, when the woman involved went to the Budget Inn on West Main Street in Christiansburg.
According to Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Jensen, she had gone there intending to end her relationship with Penn.
What followed led to a criminal investigation and eventually a jury trial.
Prosecutors said Penn assaulted the woman inside the hotel room, including punching her, throwing her to the floor and strangling her to the point that she had difficulty breathing.
Authorities said he then prevented her from leaving the room.
At one point, prosecutors said Penn held a knife against her throat, causing a small cut. He also attempted to restrain her with a rope before sexually assaulting her, according to the prosecution’s account presented in court.
During the trial, the woman testified about what she experienced inside the room and said she feared she might not make it out safely.
Eventually, she was able to leave the hotel.
Rather than simply leaving the area, she drove a short distance to the Christiansburg Police Department and reported what had happened.
That decision quickly brought investigators into the case.
Police arrested Penn shortly afterward as he was leaving the hotel room. Officers said he was carrying a knife at the time.
The knife later became an important part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Forensic testing conducted at the state laboratory in Roanoke found the woman’s DNA on the blade, according to prosecutors. Investigators also recovered the rope that had allegedly been used inside the room.
But one of the most significant pieces of evidence came from Penn’s own phone.
According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Jensen, Penn had recorded himself holding the knife against the woman’s throat. Investigators later recovered that video.
The combination of the woman’s account, the physical evidence and the recording became part of the case presented at trial.
Penn was convicted following a trial in May 2026.
His convictions included animate object sexual penetration, abduction, strangulation, assault and battery, and destruction of property.
The sentencing hearing this week formally brought the case to another major stage.
The court imposed 35 years for animate object sexual penetration. Penn also received a 10-year sentence for abduction and five years for strangulation, but those additional prison terms were suspended.
As a result, his total sentence is 50 years, with 35 years to be served behind bars.
The court also ordered Penn to serve 10 years of probation after his release and to register as a sex offender.
In addition, a lifetime protective order was entered prohibiting Penn from contacting the victim.
For prosecutors, the case also highlighted the importance of evidence gathered soon after an incident.
Sexual assaults can occur in private settings where there may be few or no witnesses, making physical and digital evidence especially important.
Jensen credited Christiansburg police with responding quickly and recovering evidence that helped corroborate the victim’s account.
The investigation did not rely solely on what happened inside the hotel room. The knife, forensic testing, rope and video recovered from Penn’s phone all became important pieces of the prosecution’s case.
The woman’s decision to go directly to police after leaving the hotel also provided investigators with an immediate report and allowed officers to begin documenting what had happened.
Now, nearly a year after the incident, the criminal case has reached its sentencing phase.
Penn will serve 35 years in prison under the sentence imposed by the court, followed by 10 years of probation. The lifetime protective order will remain in place, and he will be required to register as a sex offender after his release.
The case is a reminder that an investigation can change significantly once detectives begin piecing together different forms of evidence.
What started with a private meeting at a Christiansburg hotel ultimately led to a police report, an arrest, forensic testing, digital evidence, a criminal trial and now a lengthy prison sentence.
For the woman involved, the court’s decision closes one major chapter of the case while providing a legal outcome after months of proceedings.
For Penn, the sentence means he will spend the next several decades in prison, followed by years of supervision once he is released.
The court has now made its decision, and the case has moved from an active criminal investigation into the long-term consequences of a conviction and sentence.