Grandfather guilty in rape trial
NORWICH – A man accused of molesting his granddaughter took his case before a jury and walked away convicted on all counts Tuesday.
It took a jury over three hours to deliberate Delbert Shofkom’s fate, but at approximately 7:30 p.m., they unanimously declared him guilty on all six counts.
“People need to know how devastating this is to the family, as one could see by the room full of hysterical people following the verdict,” said District Attorney Joseph McBride.
Shofkom was found guilty of attempting to rape his granddaughter on at least one occasion and forcing her into sexual encounters on several different occasions beginning in November 2004.
The prosecution called three witnesses to the stand and the defense called two during the two-day trial. In the court room, sides of the family were split as one supported the young girl and her allegations and the other supporting Shofkom. The victim’s father and her two brothers lived with Shofkom.
On the stand, the now 17-year-old victim testified that she was scared of her grandfather and received “presents” in expectation of returning some sort of physical contact or allowing herself to be inappropriately touched.
“I told him I learned in school it was wrong and I didn’t like it,” said the teen on the stand.
During her emotional testimony, three members of the jury wiped tears from their eyes. Following her direct examination on the stand by the prosecution, the court granted a 20-minute recess before attorney John D. Cameron resumed questioning on behalf of the defense.
Cameron read through several discrepancies in the girl’s statements given to police investigators and the grand jury, and compared them to what she had testified to in court. Many of them exposed that the girl had given varying times for when the events took place between 2003 and 2005. Also Cameron pointed out that in no prior testimony, including statements to police, did the girl say she was physically forced into sex, but in court said she had been.
In prior statements, the girl said she had been asked to remove her clothes and did because she was afraid of her grandfather. However despite the discrepancy of force used at the onset of that encounter, the girl told both investigators and the court that to end the encounter she was forced to “kick and push” the defendant off her.
McBride called the victim’s older brother to the stand and he testified that he witnessed the defendant molesting his sister on at least two occasions. The brother also admitted that he had created false physical abuse accusations against his father (the defendant’s son) in a separate issue in order to get out of the house.
Another granddaughter of the defendant testified that the victim and Shofkom visited their family in Arkansas in a tractor trailer road trip. She testified that the victim told her she was being molested by Shofkom. Later when she approached the girl over the accusations, the victim allegedly said she had made them up because she was wanted to get out of the house.
“I love my family and my poppy (Shofkom) but I love (the victim) too and I was worried about her; this is serious stuff and I would want to stop it,” said the witness.
Shofkom took the stand in his own defense and denied all the allegations against him. He said he and his granddaughter never got along. “How would you describe the relationship with your grand daughter?” asked McBride. “Strained, very strained,” said Shofkom. Shofkom had no explanation as to why his favorite grandchild (the victim’s older brother) testified against him. “I don’t know. You tell me. He used to be a good kid,” said Shofkom. “No sir, you tell me,” replied McBride.
The final witness in the case was the victim’s father, the defendant’s son. He testified that the defendant was alone with his daughter on occasion. “You would rather not be testifying today isn’t that true?” asked McBride. “I can assure you this has been a horror for the whole family,” said the victim’s father.
Following the verdict, a number of people in the wings of the courthouse burst into tears from both sides of the court room.
Shofkom was remanded to the county jail pending sentence at a later date and is facing several years in state prison.
It took a jury over three hours to deliberate Delbert Shofkom’s fate, but at approximately 7:30 p.m., they unanimously declared him guilty on all six counts.
“People need to know how devastating this is to the family, as one could see by the room full of hysterical people following the verdict,” said District Attorney Joseph McBride.
Shofkom was found guilty of attempting to rape his granddaughter on at least one occasion and forcing her into sexual encounters on several different occasions beginning in November 2004.
The prosecution called three witnesses to the stand and the defense called two during the two-day trial. In the court room, sides of the family were split as one supported the young girl and her allegations and the other supporting Shofkom. The victim’s father and her two brothers lived with Shofkom.
On the stand, the now 17-year-old victim testified that she was scared of her grandfather and received “presents” in expectation of returning some sort of physical contact or allowing herself to be inappropriately touched.
“I told him I learned in school it was wrong and I didn’t like it,” said the teen on the stand.
During her emotional testimony, three members of the jury wiped tears from their eyes. Following her direct examination on the stand by the prosecution, the court granted a 20-minute recess before attorney John D. Cameron resumed questioning on behalf of the defense.
Cameron read through several discrepancies in the girl’s statements given to police investigators and the grand jury, and compared them to what she had testified to in court. Many of them exposed that the girl had given varying times for when the events took place between 2003 and 2005. Also Cameron pointed out that in no prior testimony, including statements to police, did the girl say she was physically forced into sex, but in court said she had been.
In prior statements, the girl said she had been asked to remove her clothes and did because she was afraid of her grandfather. However despite the discrepancy of force used at the onset of that encounter, the girl told both investigators and the court that to end the encounter she was forced to “kick and push” the defendant off her.
McBride called the victim’s older brother to the stand and he testified that he witnessed the defendant molesting his sister on at least two occasions. The brother also admitted that he had created false physical abuse accusations against his father (the defendant’s son) in a separate issue in order to get out of the house.
Another granddaughter of the defendant testified that the victim and Shofkom visited their family in Arkansas in a tractor trailer road trip. She testified that the victim told her she was being molested by Shofkom. Later when she approached the girl over the accusations, the victim allegedly said she had made them up because she was wanted to get out of the house.
“I love my family and my poppy (Shofkom) but I love (the victim) too and I was worried about her; this is serious stuff and I would want to stop it,” said the witness.
Shofkom took the stand in his own defense and denied all the allegations against him. He said he and his granddaughter never got along. “How would you describe the relationship with your grand daughter?” asked McBride. “Strained, very strained,” said Shofkom. Shofkom had no explanation as to why his favorite grandchild (the victim’s older brother) testified against him. “I don’t know. You tell me. He used to be a good kid,” said Shofkom. “No sir, you tell me,” replied McBride.
The final witness in the case was the victim’s father, the defendant’s son. He testified that the defendant was alone with his daughter on occasion. “You would rather not be testifying today isn’t that true?” asked McBride. “I can assure you this has been a horror for the whole family,” said the victim’s father.
Following the verdict, a number of people in the wings of the courthouse burst into tears from both sides of the court room.
Shofkom was remanded to the county jail pending sentence at a later date and is facing several years in state prison.
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