Springfield man charged with 61 new counts related to child sex abuse
“He says he’ll kill her and her baby sister,” Heskett said. “Threatens to snap her neck.”
Heskett said the girls were interviewed by a professional at the Clark County Child Advocacy Center and disclosed the assaults to the advocate.
Sanders has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his attorney, Jeffrey Hunter, told the jury Monday afternoon the allegations are not true.
“Everything is not as simple as it seems,” Hunter told the jury. “You were just told something that I think the evidence will show the opposite.”
Hunter alleged that the advocate used leading questions to get a disclosure out of the child and even “filled in the blanks” when the child was unable to answer questions.
Sanders is charged with nine counts of rape, 38 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, seven counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, six counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor and one count of gross sexual imposition.
Heskett told the jury during opening arguments that Sanders told one girl that there was nothing wrong with him touching her sexually.
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“She knew it wasn’t right,” Heskett said. “He says though, no it’s normal. And he shows her on his phone child pornography.”
Hunter told the jury that the photos on his phone were already uploaded when he purchased it second hand online.
The case is being heard in front of Clark County Common Pleas Judge Douglas Rastatter. Attorney’s took about two hours to select a jury for the case Monday morning.
The jury trial was expected to last through Monday and into Tuesday. Sanders is an inmate in the Clark County jail, according to jail records, and has been since April 29 when he was originally arrested.
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