Posted on
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Truck Driver Guilty of Molesting 7-year-old Girl
EDITOR’S NOTE: It is the policy of the Tyler Morning Telegraph to not name victims of sexual assault to protect their identity and encourage the reporting of such crimes.
By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer
Mark Head was found guilty today of molesting a 7-year-old girl.
By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer
Mark Head was found guilty today of molesting a 7-year-old girl.
The 41-year-old truck driver from Lindale was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child by a Smith County jury in 7th District Judge Kerry Russell’s court after about three hours of deliberation. He faces up to life in prison for the June 28, 2007 offenses.
The victim, now 8, broke down on the witness stand Wednesday as she testified about being repeatedly molested by Head. The defendant testified and denied the allegations, claiming the girl’s mother put her up to framing him because she was mad at him.
During closing arguments, Assistant Smith County District Attorney Richard Vance said the girl told several people what Head did to her and her statements and testimony were all consistent and contained specific details of the assault.
Vance said if the girl was lying, as Head claimed, why didn’t Head ever go to law enforcement and tell them? He said the defendant lied on the stand, as did his neighbor who testified that the victim’s mother told her to make up the allegations.
“Look at who is lying,” he told the jurors. “Don’t let him fool you. You don’t need to be another victim of his.”
Defense attorney Guy Conine said Diane Fisher, Head’s neighbor, said that four days before the family moved out of Head’s house, the girl’s mother told her she was mad at Head because he wouldn’t marry her or buy her cigarettes or a minivan, so she was going to “get even with him.” He said her story matched Head’s testimony about the woman being angry.
Ms. Fisher then talked to all three children and asked them if something happened. The girl who had made the allegations told her she was told to say what she did, Conine said.
“There is doubt in this case,” he said, asking the jurors to find him not guilty.
The victim testified she was 7 when she and her mother and siblings lived with Head. She said she was sitting on the couch when Head told her to take off her pants and she detailed how he molested her. During the incident, she said she felt like she was a "bad girl" and, afterward, he told her "to keep it a secret." She said when he tried to molest her the next time, she said no.
The girl testified Head had rubbed her inappropriately on several other occasions before, beginning when she was 6, and taught her how to French kiss. She began crying during her testimony and had to take a break.
Head said the allegations by the girl were not true. The girl was lying because her mother told her to say it, he said.
"It’s been a nightmare for me … there’s no way I’d hurt none of them girls," he said, tearing up.
Head said when the police came to arrest him, he thought there must be some mistake.
"Why would anybody do that?" he asked. "I love that little girl more than anything in the world."
Vance said if the girl was lying, as Head claimed, why didn’t Head ever go to law enforcement and tell them? He said the defendant lied on the stand, as did his neighbor who testified that the victim’s mother told her to make up the allegations.
“Look at who is lying,” he told the jurors. “Don’t let him fool you. You don’t need to be another victim of his.”
Defense attorney Guy Conine said Diane Fisher, Head’s neighbor, said that four days before the family moved out of Head’s house, the girl’s mother told her she was mad at Head because he wouldn’t marry her or buy her cigarettes or a minivan, so she was going to “get even with him.” He said her story matched Head’s testimony about the woman being angry.
Ms. Fisher then talked to all three children and asked them if something happened. The girl who had made the allegations told her she was told to say what she did, Conine said.
“There is doubt in this case,” he said, asking the jurors to find him not guilty.
The victim testified she was 7 when she and her mother and siblings lived with Head. She said she was sitting on the couch when Head told her to take off her pants and she detailed how he molested her. During the incident, she said she felt like she was a "bad girl" and, afterward, he told her "to keep it a secret." She said when he tried to molest her the next time, she said no.
The girl testified Head had rubbed her inappropriately on several other occasions before, beginning when she was 6, and taught her how to French kiss. She began crying during her testimony and had to take a break.
Head said the allegations by the girl were not true. The girl was lying because her mother told her to say it, he said.
"It’s been a nightmare for me … there’s no way I’d hurt none of them girls," he said, tearing up.
Head said when the police came to arrest him, he thought there must be some mistake.
"Why would anybody do that?" he asked. "I love that little girl more than anything in the world."
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