Opinion ID: 2633317
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence concerning Ledbetter's sexual abuse of T.B.

Text: T.B. is Ledbetter's biological daughter from a previous marriage. She testified that she was about ten years old and living with her family in Oregon when she fell asleep on her parents' bed one night and awoke to find her father, Ledbetter, fondling her. Ledbetter engaged in further foreplay and, ultimately, sexual intercourse with the child. T.B. testified that Ledbetter had instructed her [n]ot to say anything to anybody. It would hurt my mom and split up the family. A couple of months after this first incident Ledbetter entered T.B.'s bedroom one night while she was sleeping. She awoke to find him masturbating. Ledbetter thereafter began touching T.B.'s genital area and breasts on a regular basis. Most of these incidents occurred at night and in T.B.'s bedroom. T.B. recalled that Ledbetter once abused her while he took her driving in the mountains and another time at a drive-in movie. At one point T.B. locked her bedroom door and inserted a blue plastic bottle into her vagina in an attempt to block her father's entry. These incidents occurred over a five-year period until T.B. was 15 years old. T.B. eventually disclosed the abuse to her mother, and her parents divorced. T.B.'s mother (Ledbetter's former wife) testified that she once caught Ledbetter looking through a window at night watching T.B. take a shower. When T.B.'s mother confronted Ledbetter about the abuse, he admitted to his behavior but blamed it on T.B. The police were never contacted, but T.B.'s mother once warned L.R.'s mother (Ledbetter's second wife) about Ledbetter's behavior.