By Jake Romero and Darling Gonzalez
DUBLIN, CA — A 12-year-old girl testified Monday morning in the preliminary hearing of her stepfather at the East County Hall of Justice/Alameda County Superior Court – the stepfather allegedly sexually abused the girl for more than a year.
NOTE: The Vanguard won’t identify the defendant to protect the identity of the victim.
Deputy District Attorney Masanao Morimoto asked the victim for specific details about the nature of the abuse. The girl said **** never tried to have sex with her, but he did touch her inappropriately on multiple occasions and had her put on her mother’s underwear.
According to the victim, some instances of the abuse occurred in the presence of others. She described a time when **** inappropriately touched her while sitting on the same couch as her mother.
The victim stated that her stepfather sometimes apologized to her for the abuse, and DDA Morimoto asked her to explain how the man would apologize.
“He would start crying… and say how he’s trying to do his best. So, he would stop doing it for one or two weeks, and then he would do it again,” the girl said.
The abuse allegedly lasted from Valentine’s Day, 2019, until the ****’s arrest in May 2020. The victim was in 4th and 5th grade during this time period.
Assistant Public Defender Allison Fisher cross-examined the victim and, after nearly 30 minutes, Judge Michael Gaffey asked her to refocus the line of questioning because it was “unduly prolonged” and did not seem to produce any additional insight.
PD Fisher turned to the first instance of the alleged abuse on Feb. 14, 2019. She asked the victim if **** had said anything to her during the incident, and the girl answered that he did.
Fisher then asked the victim if she remembered telling a woman at CALICO — a center that coordinates with children who have reported abuse — that **** did not say anything during the Valentine’s Day incident.
“I didn’t tell her that,” the victim replied.
The public defender also brought up an instance of alleged abuse that occurred on a day when the victim went to a flea market with her family. The girl told Fisher it occurred after she returned home from the flea market, not before going.
“Do you remember telling the district attorney earlier that it happened before you went to the flea market?” Fisher asked.
“No, I told him ‘after,’” the victim said.
If **** is found guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child, he could face up to 16 years in prison.
