|
Summarized by Kent Larsen
Father of LDS Missionary On Trial for Sex Abuse
Portland OR Oregonian 20Feb00 D2
By Holly Danks: The Oregonian staff
HILLSBORO, OREGON -- Robert William Morrissey, 45, is on trial for
sodomy and sexual abuse in the alleged molestation of two
preschool-age girls in his wife's care at an in-home day care center.
Morrissey and his wife have one son that left on an LDS mission in
the middle of 1998 and three other sons at home. If convicted, he
faces 27 to 46 years in prison.
It is not clear from the article if Morrissey is a member of the LDS
Church or not. He was employed as a sheriff's deputy working the
graveyard shift, which prosecutors claim gave him access to the
children in the day care. Prosecutors claim that the abuse happened
when his wife wasn't home. The abuse allegedly involved multiple
incidents starting in April 1995 and lasting until a police
investigation of Morrissey started in January 1999. When the
investigation started, Pauletta Morrissey's childcare license was
suspended.
Defense attorney Timonthy Dunn told the jury that his evidence will
show that Morrissey never had an opportunity to abuse the two girls.
But prosecutor's opened the trial with a videotape of one of the
victims telling a counsellor of the abuse.
|
