CLEARFIELD – The first half of Day 1 in the Frederick E. St. John trial saw more than an hour of testimony from the alleged victim in the case.
The Morrisdale man is facing 194 counts each of rape and related counts, along with 32 counts each of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault and a corruption of minors charge.
The charges stem from sexual incidents alleged to have happened at several locations in Clearfield County involving a teen girl.
Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. and Chris Pentz, attorney for the defense, each presented their opening statements Wednesday morning. Shaw focused on the elements of the charges and the information to which each witness is scheduled to testify. Pentz chose to explain the process of the trial.
Shaw then called his first two witnesses, one of whom was the alleged victim. She testified for about an hour and a half Wednesday morning and is expected to take the stand again Wednesday afternoon.
She outlined a course of events that began in October 2002 when St. John would force her to have sexual contact with him. The exchanges stopped in December, shortly before the girl went to the authorities with her story.
While she was testifying, St. John often shook his head and at times turned to people in the gallery to mouth words such as “I don’t believe it” to some of his supporters.
Although the trial is scheduled for three days, Shaw told the jury that it could wrap up Thursday afternoon.
Log onto GantDaily for more on the trial as it progresses.