| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"nJb" |
| Date: |
25 Aug 2005 10:27:19 AM |
| Object: |
Church teacher guilty of fondling |
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2971365
Church teacher guilty of fondling
Quick decision: The jury reaches a verdict after just three hours; the
young girls' testimony was key
OGDEN - Aaron Marcos Montoya, his face ashen and body stiff, would not
turn and face his former fellow LDS ward members Thursday as he was
handcuffed and led from the courtroom after being convicted of fondling
their young daughters in primary class.
Montoya, who exchanged a long look with his crying wife, Angela, was
shocked by the jury's verdict after just three hours of deliberation,
said his attorney, Ed Brass. "He's not doing real well."
Montoya, 33, faces as much prison time as he would if he had
committed murder. The 10-year employee of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's
Office is to be sentenced Sept. 26 in Farmington's 2nd District Court on
four counts of aggravated child sexual abuse.
The former court bailiff also faces six counts involving other
alleged victims in Davis and Weber counties. At least five girls ranging
from 4 to 11 were abused over the past five years, charges filed in
those cases allege.
Detective Sgt. Mark Sessions, of Syracuse, said he hopes Montoya
will plead guilty to the other charges and spare the girls from testifying.
"He has never admitted guilt. That's what makes us angry," said
Sessions, whose detectives pieced together the case that led to
Thursday's conviction in 2nd District Court in Ogden. The trial, with
Judge Thomas Kay presiding, was moved from Farmington to Ogden because
of pretrial publicity in Davis County.
Sessions and their parents hailed the three girls, now ages 6 and 7,
for testifying against Montoya, who used to teach them Sunday mornings
at a Syracuse ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While extending their sympathy to Montoya's wife and family, the
parents of the girls said telling the truth to the jury and judge
relieved their daughters of big burdens. "It was liberating. It was
empowering for the children," said one father. "The little girls were
honest. They were heroes."
"It puts a serial pedophile off the streets," said one victim's father.
The girls testified earlier this week that Montoya had reached up
Recent Coverage
# Accused, on stand, denies any sex abuse, (8-24-05)
# Girl takes stand, alleges sex abuse, (8-23-05)
the back of their dresses and touched their genitals while they were
praying and coloring pictures of Jesus Christ last year, when they were
5 and 6.
Montoya and his wife shared teaching responsibilities for the class,
but he has taught alone about a half dozen times.
Troy Rawlings, the Davis County attorney who prosecuted the case,
called the parents "gutsy" for allowing their daughters to testify, and
called the four-man, four-woman jury's verdict a vindication of that
decision.
But in his closing arguments, defense attorney Brass said the
loving, well-meaning parents' reactions to one girl's report of fondling
may have triggered false accusations.
Brass said the girls' version of the truth was contaminated as their
mothers talked within earshot of the girls.
He also speculated that one child, whose mother had been monitoring
another sexual offender in the neighborhood, may have seen the
allegations as a way to ensure she could stop going to church and
primary, which she had complained were too long and boring.
Brass also pointed to inconsistencies in the girls' stories,
including the fact that two of the girls had previously assured their
parents their lack of interest in church had nothing to do with
inappropriate touching by anyone.
And he said it strained credulity that none of the other three or
four students in the primary class noticed the teacher reaching under
the girls' long dresses.
But the prosecutor, Rawlings, stressed the consistencies between the
girls' videotaped interviews on Dec. 17 - five days after three of the
instances of fondling - and their courtroom testimony this week. "This
is not a conspiring . . . band of 5- and 6-year-olds," Rawlings said.
"These children didn't get together and make this up."
Several jurors, as well as family and friends of the victims and of
Montoya, cried when the verdict was read.
The judge revoked Montoya's $100,000 bail at the request of the
prosecutor and sent Montoya to the Davis County Jail in Farmington.
Brass said it is too soon to know whether there will be an appeal,
but added that Montoya received a fair trial.
What's next
Aaron Marcos Montoya,
a former LDS church teacher and Salt Lake County court bailiff, will
be sentenced Sept. 26 in 2nd District Court in Farmington on four counts
of aggravated child sexual abuse. Each count carries a mandatory
five-year prison term and could bring a life sentence.
Prosecutors will continue to pursue six charges involving other
girls in Weber and Davis counties. An early October trial is scheduled
in Weber County, where Montoya is accused of fondling two 11-year-olds
while riding a personal watercraft at Pineview Reservoir in 2000.
What's next
Aaron Marcos Montoya,
a former LDS church teacher and Salt Lake County court bailiff, will
be sentenced Sept. 26 in 2nd District Court in Farmington on four counts
of aggravated child sexual abuse. Each count carries a mandatory
five-year prison term and could bring a life sentence.
Prosecutors will continue to pursue six charges involving other
girls in Weber and Davis counties. An early October trial is scheduled
in Weber County, where Montoya is accused of fondling two 11-year-olds
while riding a personal watercraft at Pineview Reservoir in 2000.
--
Jack
Plonked by Native American
bobo1148atxmissiondotcom
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/xmissionbobo/
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| User: "Ken" |
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| Title: Re: Church teacher guilty of fondling |
25 Aug 2005 10:56:13 AM |
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nJb wrote:
Sessions and their parents hailed the three girls, now ages 6 and 7,
for testifying against Montoya, who used to teach them Sunday mornings
at a Syracuse ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wow, I wouldn't have wanted to be on that jury. Several years of a guys
life hinging on the testimony of two girls 6 and 7 years old.
--
Ken
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| User: "Uncle Vic" |
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| Title: Re: Church teacher guilty of fondling |
25 Aug 2005 02:17:50 PM |
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on 25 Aug 2005 in alt.atheism, dear sweet Ken (none@none.com) made the
light shine upon us with this:
nJb wrote:
Sessions and their parents hailed the three girls, now ages 6
and 7,
for testifying against Montoya, who used to teach them Sunday
mornings at a Syracuse ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
Wow, I wouldn't have wanted to be on that jury. Several years of a
guys life hinging on the testimony of two girls 6 and 7 years old.
I was seven when I walked out of church knowing full well I would never
attend another worship session in my life. Some kids mature more quickly
than others. Especially when faced with an adult one cannot trust.
--
Uncle Vic
aa#2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department
http://home.comcast.net/~vickman/
Plonked by Raytard
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