Eight-year-old testifies about alleged sexual assault
A slight 8-year-old boy sat on the witness stand Monday to testify that two people who cared for him sexually abused him. The boy, who the newspaper will not identify because he is an alleged victim of sexual assault, testified he told his foster mother that April Dawn Humbert and James Lester Humbert abused him sexually while he was in their care.
The boy testified that April Humbert, “forced me to have sex with her,” while James Humbert watched and then climbed on top of him.
While the boy, a second grader, could not pinpoint the exact dates during which this happened, state police trooper Jeffrey W. Ramsey listed the alleged abuse as occurring between May 1 and Nov. 11, 2000. The alleged abuse, according to the complaint, occurred at a Bierer Wood Acres home.
Both Humberts are charged with corruption of minors and April Humbert is charged additionally with indecent assault.
The boy told special child abuse prosecutor Jack R. Heneks Jr. that he confided what happened to his foster mother sometime this year.
“I thought if I told her, it would be easier,” said the boy. “Then I wouldn’t have to lie about it any more.”
The boy answered most of Heneks’ questions, but often seemed confused when questioned by defense attorneys for the Humberts. He often told Assistant Public Defender David Kaiser and conflicts counsel Dianne Zerega that he could not remember telling other versions of events to police and workers from Children and Youth Services.
After the boy’s testimony, Judge John F. Wagner Jr. sent jurors home so that he could listen to testimony from the boy’s foster mother, Ramsey and CYS caseworker Kim Schuessler. Wagner determined that they would be allowed to testify about statements the child made to them despite the fact that such statements are generally considered hearsay and deemed inadmissible.
Testimony will pick up this morning with their testimony.
This is the Humberts’ second child abuse trial in Fayette County Court.
They were convicted last year of abusing April’s 9-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Before they could be sentenced in that case, however, they fled Fayette County. They were caught in Ohio several months later.
The victim, Betty Jo White, testified that James Humbert beat her with a belt on several occasions, and that her mother hit her with a hairbrush. The Humberts both denied hurting the girl.
They were sentenced to serve 11 1/2 to 23 months for the abuse charges and an additional six months in jail for failing to appear for sentencing. They are currently incarcerated in Fayette County Prison.