CLARION BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — The first day of the Floyd Watson trial began on Thursday with the alleged victim testifying that the sexual abuse began at the age of 11.(Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)
Floyd Harry Watson, 46, of Knox, stands accused of more than 100 charges, including two counts of Rape Forcible Compulsion and 15 counts of both Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse Threat Forcible Compulsion and Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse Person Less Than 16 Years Age.
The charges stem from sexual abuse allegations made against Watson, claiming he sexually abused a girl over a period of six years from 2012 to 2018.
District Attorney Drew Welsh opened the trial by making it clear to the jury of nine women and three men there is no physical evidence in this case.
“The testimony that the witnesses give you will be the evidence in this case,” Welsh explained. “The bottom line of the case comes down to whether you believe the Commonwealth’s witnesses.”
Directly following Welsh, defense attorney Leonard Berger asked the jury to keep an open mind in the case and argued the testimony from the prosecution’s witnesses was inconsistent and full of contradictions.
“The victim will contradict herself,” Berger stated. “You will hear outright denial, combined with ‘She said x, she said y.’ There are inconsistencies and contradictions in the testimony.”
Berger also made the point that the lack of physical evidence could be factored in by the jury when deliberating.
“You’re allowed to take that into consideration,” he said of the absence of DNA or other physical and forensic evidence. “The reason we don’t have that evidence is that it wasn’t reported properly.”
After both sides gave their opening arguments, the prosecution began their case, basing their argument largely through the testimony of the alleged victim, which they corroborated with other witnesses.
The alleged victim, now 20, was the first witness called to the stand, and testified Watson began to sexually abuse her at the age of 11, making her perform oral sex on him at a residence in Knox. The last time she was abused, she testified, was when she was 17, also in the Knox residence.
“Right before we left,” she said, “he was trying to touch me on the couch in a sexual nature.”
She also stated that she remembers one instance of Watson anally raping her, though she said there were no instances of vaginal sex.
The sexual abuse would, according to the alleged victim, take place in the master bedroom of the Knox residence, though she claimed she was also abused at a Rockland cabin belonging to Watson, as well as one time when she needed a ride to work. She stated another time occurred at Kahle Lake, where she said Watson “said he was going to take me to teach me how to drive.”
The abuse would often happen, the alleged victim explained, after Floyd drank alcohol, which she said was a very common occurrence.
The sexual abuse was exposed after the alleged victim told her friend from school, Alexis Hunsberger, some general details, and then Hunsberger told the alleged victim’s boyfriend.
This prompted a CYS (Children & Youth Services) visit to the Clarion County Career Center, where the alleged victim attended at the time.
During this visit, the alleged victim denied the allegations to CYS, but afterward called her mother and told her what happened.
However, the alleged victim did not inform the police of the allegations until much later.
“Shawn (Lander) convinced me that I had to take it to the police,” the alleged victim said. “He talked to me about how wrong it was and that I needed to tell someone.”
The alleged victim’s mother and brother, as well as Shawn Lander, corroborated parts of the alleged victim’s testimony.
Lander testified both the alleged victim and her mother seemed intimidated by Floyd Watson, and that he tried to provide a safe space for them.
“They actually felt secure for once,” Lander said. “I think that’s what gave (the alleged victim) the strength to come forward.”
The alleged victim’s brother explained that he saw many suspicious things over the years, “but never put two and two together.”
“He (Floyd Harry Watson) would come home from work early and say he was going to take a nap,” said the alleged victim’s brother. “He would take (the alleged victim) and lock the door behind him.”
The defense’s arguments rested on the contradictions in the testimonies of the prosecution’s witnesses, as well as Floyd Watson’s alleged erectile dysfunction.
Berger’s cross-examination of the alleged victim dug at inconsistencies between her testimony during the trial and prior testimony.
Berger pointed out minor inconsistencies, such as the alleged victim previously testifying she told her boyfriend and not Hunsberger about the abuse first, as well as the clothes the alleged victim would wear to bed.
During the trial, the alleged victim testified Floyd Watson told her to wear loose pajamas, but Berger pointed out in the transcript of an interview between the alleged victim and Trooper Norbert, the state police official who investigated the case, she said she wore shorts to bed at Floyd Watson’s request.
However, Berger’s fiercest attack came afterward.
He first asked the alleged victim about her behavior after she had moved out of Floyd Watson’s house.
The alleged victim admitted to visiting Floyd Watson alone multiple times after she moved out to take his blood pressure.
“No one made me go over and do that,” she said.
The alleged victim also visited Floyd Watson on another occasion and during the visit volunteered herself to go with Floyd Watson alone to pay an electrical bill.
“Is there a reason you did this?” asked Berger.
“No,” she replied.
“You were afraid of him?” Berger followed up.
“Yeah,” she curtly replied.
During their cross-examinations, the alleged victim’s mother and Lander were asked if they knew the alleged victim had visited Floyd Watson to take his blood pressure, to which they both said no.
Berger also asked the alleged victim’s mother and brother about an alleged text message from the alleged victim’s brother to his mother stating the alleged victim went to pay the electrical bill alone with Floyd Watson.
Both the alleged victim’s mother and brother said they did not remember the text message.
Berger revisited the alleged victim’s fear of Floyd Watson later on in cross-examination, asking her why she was able to refuse vaginal sex with him.
“You didn’t perform vaginal sex because you didn’t want to have vaginal sex,” he asked.
“Correct,” she replied.
Finally, Berger pointed out what he called inconsistencies in the alleged victim’s account of the frequency she was sexually abused, stating she had told Trooper Norbert she was forced to perform oral sex on Floyd Watson 15 to 20 times over the course of six years, but during direct examination by Welsh said the sexual abuse was a “common occurrence.”
Taking the lower end of the alleged victim’s estimate, Berger said it “would only happen once or twice a year,” which he insinuated was not often.
In the middle of her cross-examination, the alleged victim asked for, and received, a short break after Berger’s questioning led her to tears.
Berger also made the argument Floyd Watson suffers from erectile dysfunction, which would prevent him from having an erection if he drank alcohol.
He asked both the alleged victim and her mother about this, but both denied him having any problems.
However, the defense presented two women, Christina Bell, who dated Floyd Watson in the late 90s, and his current fiancé, Brenda Hall, to counter these claims.
Bell and Hall both testified Floyd Watson cannot have an erection after drinking three to four beers.
The trial resumed at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 24. One more witness is scheduled to testify for the defense.
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