Judge to listen to police interview again in sexual abuse case


Share
Originally Posted Online: Feb. 02, 2013, 5:51 pm
Last Updated: Feb. 02, 2013, 5:52 pm
Print this story | Email this story
By Lisa Hammer, rlhammer@qconline.com

CAMBRIDGE — Henry County Circuit Court Judge Richard Zimmer said Friday he will listen to an audio recording of a police interview with a Princeton man a second time before rendering his verdict in a bench trial.

On trial is Terrence Toussaint, 25, charged with two counts of Class 2 felony sexual abuse.

He met his alleged victim, a Kewanee girl, last April 24 on a social networking site for people older than 18, according to testimony.

Her page on the site listed her as being 20, but he testified that when he came to Kewanee at her invitation, he asked her how old she was and she said she was 18. After they had sex, she said she was 17, he testified. In actuality, she was 14, according to testimony.

They met at a convenience station in Kewanee, where surveillance cameras picked them up.

According to testimony, they eventually went to Baker Park, where they walked down a trail and allegedly had sex.

Henry County State's Attorney Terry Patton said the state proved the victim was between the ages of 13 and 17 and the defendant was at least five years older than she.

Public defender James Cosby argued that it was reasonable for Mr. Toussaint to believe the female was at least 17. He pointed out her page is still up on the social networking site.

The audio recording to which the judge will listen again was the police interview with Mr. Toussaint. It was played once during the trial, but the quality was very poor, causing the judge to ask attorneys for both sides how well they thought they heard it. Mr. Patton said he thought Mr. Toussaint's answers were audible, while Mr. Cosby said he struggled to understand it.

The trial is to continue Monday morning.











Commenting is closed for this story











Local events heading








  Today is Monday, May 20, the 140th day of 2013. There are 225 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A petition is being circulated asking the city council to order awell bored in Market Square. It would be a great accommodation to the public.
1888 -- 125 years ago: At 1 p.m. on May 18 the Mississippi River flooded its banks atRock Island and destroyed the warehouse of the Rock Island Lumber Co. and damagedRock Island Arsenal power plant. Total loss is estimated at $100,000.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Residents of Sough Rock Island Township are circulating apetition favoring the annexation of that area to the City of Rock Island.
1938 -- 75 years ago: A group of state members of the National Grandmothers Clubmeeting in Rock Island are making plans to petition for the observance of a NationalGrandmothers Day.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Deere and Co. reported today that its U.S. and Canadian sales forthe first half of the 1963 fiscal year set an all time record of $323,716.628.
1988 -- 25 years ago: William G. Lawrence, first administrative director, has retired fromPECO Enterprises, Inc. Prior to his service at PECO, Mr. Lawrence was the civilianpersonnel officer at the Rock Island Arsenal.






(More History)