Opinion ID: 1995978
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Testimony of Steven

Text: Steven, the complaining witness, testified at trial that defendant is the nephew of his stepmother (Josephine); Josephine is married to Steven's father. Steven testified that, as a child, he often visited his father on weekends and that sometimes defendant would be there at the same time. Steven described his relationship with defendant as falling into the fun category; he testified that he and defendant would engage in such activities as playing games, wrestling, and riding in defendant's car. Steven testified that, from time to time while they were engaged in these activities, he and defendant would be joined by Steven's siblings and other relatives. Steven further testified that his mother and his stepfather (Fred Sr.) were married on August 21, 1999 and that he stayed at his biological father's home for two or three days after the wedding. [5] According to Steven's testimony, while he and his brothers were staying at his father's home, defendant came to visit. When that visit was over, defendant drove Steven and his brothers to his own apartment, where he lived with his mother and his sisters. Steven testified that he spent that August night at defendant's apartment and that he, his two brothers, and defendant all slept in the same bed in the living room. Steven stated that he awoke when he felt someone pulling his boxer shorts. Steven testified that it was defendant who was doing the pulling and that defendant proceeded to put his mouth on [Steven's] penis. Steven further testified that he then performed a similar sexual act on defendant. Steven stated that, after the sexual acts were completed, he went back to sleep. Steven testified that he did not tell anyone what had occurred because he had liked it. Steven also testified that the just-described August 1999 sexual conduct was not the first time that defendant had engaged in oral sexual conduct with him; he stated that the first instance had occurred in the living room of his father's house when he was about nine years old. At that point in the trial, the trial justice instructed the jurors that they were not to consider Steven's testimony with respect to that prior sexual activity with defendant as evidence of defendant's bad character or as evidence that defendant had a propensity to commit such acts. The trial justice further instructed the jury that they could consider the evidence to establish, if you believe this witness, the nature of the relationship between the witness and the defendant; [and/or] the disposition or intent of the defendant towards this witness, and for no other reason or no other purpose. The trial justice further instructed the jurors that they could not use Steven's testimony regarding sexual conduct with defendant when he was nine years old to find him guilty of the charges that he is on trial for    today. Steven then proceeded to testify that, on that earlier occasion (when he was approximately nine years old), defendant had awakened him and had performed oral sex on him, after which Steven had performed oral sex on defendant; Steven added that defendant then masturbated both himself and Steven. Steven testified that he did not tell anyone about defendant's conduct until August of 2003, when he told his mother that defendant had previously molested him; Steven was sixteen years old at that time. [6] Steven testified that his reason for making the August 2003 disclosure to his mother (Tracey) was because she had (in Steven's words) walked in on [him] molesting [his] step-brother (Fred Jr.). It was further Steven's testimony that he told his mother that Leroy did the same thing to me. C