Monroe County Rape Trial Begins
Testimony began Monday in the trial of a Monroe County man indicted on 14 counts including child rape, attempted rape, gross sexual imposition and endangering children.
Jury selection in the case against John J. Peterson Jr. of Antioch began early Monday and was complete by early afternoon in the courtroom of Monroe County Common Pleas Judge Julie Selmon.
After Selmon gave instructions to the jury, Monroe County Prosecutor James Peters gave his opening statement, outlining the case against Peterson with a timeline of alleged incidents and accusations by the alleged victims of physical and sexual abuse.
He said in 2014, children’s services were already involved because of previous complaints of alleged physical abuse and an unkempt home.
Peters said on Feb. 2, 2015 the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department was called to the home because of an alleged incident that happened with two children when no adults were home. The older child had been told to watch the younger child and was told to do whatever she needed to do to control the younger child’s behavior, Peters said.
The older child reportedly duct taped the younger child’s mouth, hands and feet. The younger child was able to free herself and ran away. At that point a neighbor told investigators that the six children living at the home were being “severely abused,” Peters said.
As a result of the law enforcement visit and the allegations of abuse, two children were removed from the home and placed under the care of a foster family and Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services caseworkers, Peters said.
The first witness, Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services caseworker Lisa Swisher, testified the children had been ordered to attend counseling as part of the case plan for the family. It was after the children were placed in counseling that they began to disclose information about sexual abuse that had allegedly happened.
Swisher testified one of the children who was removed from the home told her about physical abuse by Peterson, but did not disclose sexual abuse until she received a call on April 8, 2015 when the child told her she had “more bad stuff to tell besides hitting, kicking and punching.”
An interview was set up for April 9 with Harmony House Children’s Advocacy Center in St. Clairsville for the two children in foster care for a comprehensive abuse interview. It was determined one of the children had been sexually abused, Swisher testified. The child’s teacher also sent a note outlining things the child had disclosed about the alleged abuse.
There was immediate coordination with law enforcement at that point, according to Swisher’s testimony, and all children living in the home were interviewed. More information was disclosed about alleged sexual abuse and Peterson was arrested on April 16, 2015.
Swisher said that after Peterson was incarcerated, other children living in the home began disclosing information about alleged sexual abuse by Peterson.
Defense attorney John M. Jurco tried to point out inconsistencies in the information the children disclosed to Swisher, and possible inconsistencies in Swisher’s testimony. He asked Swisher why the children were allowed to remain at the Peterson home after the original inspection of the home in September of 2014 revealed filthy conditions and possible signs of abuse at that time.
Swisher said the family was put on a case plan and there were no allegations of either physical or sexual abuse until February 2, 2015, so her agency could not remove the children without a court order.
“The children were able to be removed right away when the sheriff’s office became involved. JFS needs a court order — law enforcement does not,” Swisher said.
Peterson’s trial continues today at the Monroe County Courthouse.
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