Opinion ID: 1774407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Intimate relationship

Text: Third, Mr. Hernandez argues that the pedophile exception does not apply to the witness's testimony because, while the victim in the case was Mr. Hernandez's stepdaughter, there was not an intimate relationship between Mr. Hernandez and the witness. See Mosley v. State, supra (stating we approved allowing evidence of similar acts with the same or other children in the same household when it is helpful in showing a proclivity for a specific act with a person or class of persons with whom the defendant has an intimate relationship )(emphasis added). We have not considered what constitutes an intimate relationship for purposes of the pedophile exception. We have, however, not required that the victim or witness permanently live in the same household or be related to the accused. See Munson v. State, supra (holding the Trial Court properly admitted testimony of prior abuse when the victim was visiting the accused and her sister for a week when the abuse occurred). See also Greenlee v. State, supra (holding the Trial Court properly admitted the appellant's prior convictions for sexual offenses against children who were entrusted to the appellant for baby-sitting when the victim in the case was also entrusted to the appellant for babysitting care); George v. State, 306 Ark. 360, 813 S.W.2d 792 (1991) (holding the Trial Court properly admitted the appellant's prior conviction for first degree sexual abuse of an unidentified child when the victim in the case was entrusted to the appellant for babysitting care). Intimate is defined as close in friendship or acquaintance, familiar, near, confidential. BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY 821 (6th ed.1990). The witness's relationship with Mr. Hernandez was sufficiently intimate to meet the requirement of the pedophile exception. The witness testified that she knew the Hernandez family and was allowed to spend the night at the home. She also testified that, at the time she was abused by Mr. Hernandez, she was spending the night at the Hernandez home.