Jury selection begins for man accused of sexual abuse

Alleged victim says Brown made her ‘earn’ food, school supplies through sex

NEW BOSTON, Texas—The case of a man accused of sexually abusing his former girlfriend’s daughter for nearly a decade is scheduled for jury selection this morning.

Roy Dean Brown, 51, briefly testified Monday afternoon at a hearing at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston to address pending pretrial motions. Brown shared a home with the alleged victim, now 20, from the time she was about 5 years old until Aug. 7, 2010, when she made a report of abuse to two cousins at a family gathering.

The cousins told their father, who told the girl’s mother.

The family took the allegations to former New Boston Police Department officer John Morphew and several days later the girl was interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Texarkana. The girl alleged that throughout her years living with Brown he made her “earn” food, cellphones, school supplies and clothing via sexual activity.

Brown’s lawyer, Carl Franklin of Shreveport, La., argued that DNA testing results from a comforter and a bedspread collected by the girl’s mother and given to police in the week after the allegations surfaced should be deemed inadmissible. Franklin argued that there is no guarantee that the bedding, which the state alleges came from the girl’s room, wasn’t contaminated. Both pieces were collected by the girl’s mother and placed in a trash bag, which was then turned over to police.

Franklin also argued that nothing about the girl’s home was documented by police in the form of photos or notes. Franklin said that the authorities should have acquired a search warrant before accepting the linens as well.

After hearing arguments on the issue from Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Franklin, 102nd District Judge Bobby Lockhart ruled that the DNA results would be admitted during Brown’s trial. Brown is free to argue to the jury that the items could have been contaminated and that using the results as evidence of Brown’s guilt would be unfair.

When the girl first made an outcry of abuse on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010, Brown was employed as a teacher’s aide in the Hooks Independent School District’s elementary school. At Monday’s hearing, Crisp asked Brown why he didn’t go to work or call the school the following Monday.

Brown testified that he didn’t return to work because he was meeting with a lawyer and that he declined to be interviewed by law enforcement on the lawyer’s advice.

This morning a panel of prospective jurors is expected to report to the courthouse for jury selection. Opening arguments and testimony are expected to begin Wednesday morning.

Brown faces five to 99 years or life in prison if convicted.