ANDERSON – A doctor testified Friday that he examined a 7-year-old girl three times and found no signs of molestation in what authorities say is the worst child molestation case in years.
Dr. Armand Gallanosa testified in Madison Superior Court 3 at the trial of Randy L. Horton, 27, and Sarah Moore, 27, the 7-year-old girls’ mother and stepfather.
“There were no red flags,” said Dr. Armand Gallanosa, of the Broadway Family Practice in Anderson.
The defense witness told jurors that the 7-year-old girl’s mother brought her in for three appointments in February. The original appointment was to check on a previous urinary tract infection that antibiotics hadn’t completely cleared, Gallanosa said.
On the next visit, a week later, the girl’s infection had cleared, he said. However, he examined her because she complained of irritation and bumps in the vaginal area. Gallanosa said the complications could have been caused by tight clothing or improper wiping.
“It’s not uncommon at that age,” he said. “You still have to teach them at that age.”
On the last visit, Gallanosa said the tract infection and suspected yeast infection were clear. But the girl had slight constipation.
Horton faces up to 324 years on six counts of Class A child molestation and three counts of Class C child molestation, and Moore faces from 22 to 58 years for neglect of a dependent, a Class C felony, and aiding, inducing or causing child molestation, a class A felony.
Defense attorneys for Horton and Moore said their clients maintain their innocence. Both attorneys Bryan Williams, for Horton, and Jason Childers for Moore, declined to comment.
Madison County Deputy Prosecutor Steve Koester said the girl gave staggering testimony Thursday about the molestation that started on her birthday in August 2008.
In a graphic March police report, detectives detail interviews with the girl. She described for them the various sexual acts that her stepfather demanded and her mother ignored, the report said. Due to the graphic nature of those acts, The Herald Bulletin is not publishing details.
According to the police report, the molestation allegedly happened before school while the girl’s mother was sleeping. However, the report said, the girl told her mother what her stepfather had done after the first incident. The report said Moore would tell Horton to leave, but he didn’t.
“She (the girl) said mom has allowed her to whack Randy with a belt after some of the times she told her about this,” the report said.
Koester is expected to call more experts to the stand Monday. The case is expected go to the jury Tuesday.
Contact Christina M. Wright, 640-4883, christina.wright@heraldbulletin.com.
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