Trial begins for ex-prof in child sex cases

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March 12, 2013

Trial begins for ex-prof in child sex cases

Rachel Brown rachelbrown@daltoncitizen.com The Dalton Daily Citizen Tue Mar 12, 2013, 12:08 PM EDT

If not for the “courage” of an 8-year-old to tell someone that her own relative molested her, a former college professor who is on trial this week for alleged crimes against her and two other underage girls would not be in court, a prosecutor said Monday.

Monte Gale Salyer of Rocky Face, a former Dalton State College professor, is on trial in Superior Court Judge Cindy Morris’ courtroom in Whitfield County for two counts of rape, one count of statutory rape, three counts of child molestation, five counts of aggravated child molestation and one count of criminal attempt to commit a felony. He is accused of molesting two underage girls he befriended at a Ringgold church several years ago and, more recently, the then-8-year-old relative.

“The only reason you are here is because the third child had the courage to tell within days of what happened,” Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer told the jury of three men and nine women.

Defense attorney Jim Meaney of Dalton reminded the jury members that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution.

“A story,” he said of the accusations, “is all it is at this point.”

Kenemer spent nearly an hour telling jury members in an opening statement what to expect during the trial. He said they will hear testimony and recorded interviews from the three alleged victims as well as testimony from a law enforcement officer who he said audio recorded Salyer’s voluntary admission that he was attracted to the relative he is accused of molesting. A brother of one of the girls is also expected to testify he saw Salyer kissing his sister inappropriately, and Kenemer said the state will present evidence of physical trauma from Salyer touching the 8-year-old between the legs.

Meaney, who spoke for about two minutes, said the evidence will show there are “inconsistencies” in the accounts that will be presented, and there are facts that will lead jury members to believe some witnesses’ statements “may not be credible.”

Coming forward with their stories was difficult for the girls, Kenemer said. He said the first alleged victim was about 10 when Salyer molested her in 2002, and her younger sister was molested a few years later.

The girls and their two brothers, he said, met Salyer through church and would visit him at his home where they were allowed to play video games and use his swimming pool. Kenemer said the sex acts occurred while the boys were in a room by themselves playing video games, but at least one brother later saw Salyer kissing one of his sisters not in “the way a child should be kissed.” The brother told a babysitter who told the girl’s mother; but when the mother began asking questions, the girl was too scared to tell what happened, Kenemer said. He said the younger sister, whom Salyer switched to molesting after the 10-year-old got older, was likewise too scared to tell.

Their stories came out after the 8-year-old came forward, Kenemer said. Until then, the first alleged victim admitted the rape only to her fiancé, and that alleged victim’s sister admitted it only to her boyfriend, he said.

“Ask yourself the question, can three young ladies before you just make it up?” Kenemer said. “Because at the end of the day, we would respectfully submit they are not making it up.”

Salyer faces up to life in prison without parole after rejecting a plea deal that would have allowed him to serve 20 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation.

At least one of the alleged victims is expected to testify today when the trial resumes at 9 a.m.

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Trial begins for ex-prof in child sex cases

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