Trial begins for I.F. man charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse
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IDAHO FALLS – The trial for a man charged with sexually abusing a young girl known to him began Tuesday in Bonneville County.
William Ellwood was charged with ten felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor and one felony count of sexual abuse of a minor in Aug. 2016. He also was charged with one felony count of sexual abuse of a minor in the form of photos taken of the victim.
The alleged sexual abuse took place over five years from the time the victim was 9-years-old to when she turned 14 in 2016. That’s when she told her mother about the alleged assault.
During opening statements, Bonneville County Prosecutor John Dewey told the jury they would hear evidence in the form of a phone call from the victim to Ellwood as well as see photos Ellwood allegedly took of her topless that he later tried to delete.
Dewey also said two of the victim’s siblings will give testimony that Ellwood and the girl were behind locked doors multiple times.
Ellwood’s defense attorney, Allen Browning, told the jury the victim allegedly hated Ellwood and the allegations surfaced when the victim’s mother and Ellwood were supposed to move to Colorado to get married.
Browning said two of Ellwood’s relatives will give testimony that the incident of the topless photos was not about sex, but about catching the victim misbehaving with her phone.
Browning claimed Ellwood deleted the photos when he realized she was topless.
The victim gave testimony that Ellwood first had sexual contact with her when she was nine. In her testimony, she said Ellwood told her not to tell her mother what had happened or “she’ll be sorry.”
She said that is one of the reasons she waited to tell her mother about the alleged abuse.
Ellwood’s jury trial will continue Wednesday.