Testimony began Monday in Warren County Common Pleas Court in the trial of a Mason man accused of defiling a toddler with a screwdriver.
Patrick Parker, 49, is charged with two first-degree felony counts of r*pe and two counts of gross sèxual imposition, third-degree felonies.
Prosecutors say Parker used a screwdriver and his fingers to sèxually assault a three-year-old child he was acquainted with and had access to on overnight stays between July 2007 and June 2009.
The alleged crimes were reported about a year later, according to prosecutors.
The girl’s mother testified Monday that she noticed behavioral changes in the girl beginning in 2008 after overnight stays with Parker. In May 2009, she said the girl asked to give her a kiss on the mouth during which she inserted her tongue in her mouth.
When she questioned her daughter, the girl reported Parker had kissed her in that manner, according to the mother’s testimony.
Prosecutors say the girl two years later disclosed to a licensed clinical psychologist that during this time, Parker had digitally penetrated her with his fingers and a device she described as a screwdriver.
The Enquirer generally does not identify victims of sèx crimes and is not identifying the mother to protect her daughter’s identity.
In their opening arguments, defense attorneys denied the accusations and say the girl’s story is riddled with inconsistencies and suggest she may have been coached or asked leading questions by interviewers.
Psychological testing performed on Parker in 2009 after the accusations were made revealed no signs of sèxual deviancy, the attorneys told the judge.
Parker faces a possible life sentence on the r*pe charges. The sentences for the gross sèxual imposition charges carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison on each count.
DKN