Opinion ID: 1060321
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Child Rape Conviction

Text: Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-522(a) (1997) (section 39-13-522(a)) defines the offense of rape of a child as the unlawful sexual penetration of a victim by the defendant or the defendant by a victim, if such victim is less than thirteen (13) years of age. Furthermore, Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-501(7) (1997) defines sexual penetration as sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, or any other intrusion, however slight, of any part of a person's body or of any object into the genital or anal openings of the victim's, the defendant's, or any other person's body.... (Emphasis added). Thus, for the jury to convict the defendant of child rape, it had to find that the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that B.G. was less than thirteen years of age and that he was sexually penetrated by the defendant. The proof in this case was undisputed that at the time of the offense B.G. was eleven years of age. The defendant contends, however, that the evidence was insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he sexually penetrated B.G. because the only evidence of the defendant's guilt was B.G.'s testimony. In that respect, the defendant claims that the inconsistencies in B.G.'s testimony demonstrate that he committed perjury. Furthermore, he argues that the alleged witness to the rape, Rhonda Williams, testified that the defendant did not commit the rape in her presence. In essence, the defendant argues that the jury erred in accrediting the State's evidence rather than the testimony of witnesses for the defense. We disagree. At trial, B.G. testified that on two occasions the defendant entered his room and climbed on top of him. On the second occasion, B.G. testified that the defendant removed his pants, then removed B.G.'s clothing, then raped B.G. He further stated that the anal penetration lasted for approximately five minutes and was painful. B.G. testified that his mother watched the attack from beside his bed while the defendant held a knife to his throat and threatened to kill him if he told anyone about the rape. After the incident, B.G. testified that he was unable to control his bowel movements for a period of time. Ultimately, in determining the defendant's guilt, the jury had to decide who to believe, B.G. or his mother. There were some inconsistencies in B.G.'s testimony, and his testimony was not entirely consistent with what he had previously told police investigators. However, at trial, B.G. steadfastly maintained that the defendant was his attacker. Furthermore, his testimony was corroborated by Dr. Heise, who claimed that the most likely cause of B.G.'s condition was that he had been anally penetrated. Conversely, Rhonda Williams, the sole witness who supported the defendant's theory that B.G. was lying had herself been convicted of fraud. After considering the evidence, the jury returned a guilty verdict on the child rape charge, and the verdict was approved by the trial court. Clearly, the jury chose to believe B.G. over his mother. Such a verdict accredits the testimony of the witnesses for the State and resolves all conflicts in favor of the prosecution's theory. Bland, 958 S.W.2d at 659 (citing State v. Grace, 493 S.W.2d 474, 476 (Tenn.1973)). Furthermore, a jury's verdict will not be overturned unless there are inaccuracies or inconsistencies that are so improbable or unsatisfactory as to create a reasonable doubt of the [defendant's] guilt. State v. Radley, 29 S.W.3d 532, 537 (Tenn.Crim.App.1999). In this case, the inconsistencies in B.G.'s testimony were not such as to create a reasonable doubt as to the defendant's guilt on the child rape charge. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, it is abundantly clear that a rational trier of fact could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of child rape. We affirm the defendant's conviction for child rape.