NORWICH – The trial of Charles Collins III, accused in the sexual abuse of an 11-year-old boy in the summer of 2008, is expected to reach the hands of the jury by the end of the day, and Collins himself may take the stand in his own defense, according to one source.
Collins, 32, Sherburne, is charged with predatory sexual assault against a child, a class A-II felony; first degree incest, a class B violent felony; first degree criminal sexual act, also a class B violent felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor.
The prosecution wrapped up its case against Collins early Wednesday afternoon, calling a total of five witnesses to the stand, including the alleged victim, his mother, a pair of New York State Police investigators and a computer analyst who retrieved information from Collins’ computer.
In September of 2008, Collins was charged with promoting a sexual performance by a child, a class D Felony, and possessing a sexual performance by a child, a class E Felony, following a joint investigation conducted by the New York State Police Computer Crime Unit, the Sherburne Police Department, FBI Binghamton, the Southern Tier Cyber Predator Task Force and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office.
Collins now faces the possibility of a lengthy state prison sentence if convicted, accused of forcing an 11-year-old boy to perform sexual acts upon himself on an unspecified day in August of 2008.
The victim’s mother, Meika Button, was first to the stand Wednesday, detailing her son’s relationship with Collins and describing to jurors the changes she saw in his attitude in the years following the alleged incident. Her son seemed “depressed at times,” she said, and she had “noticed he was not himself.”
According to the prosecution, Button’s son eventually broke down, in June of 2011, revealing to his mother what had happened.
New York State Police Investigator Jason Bessett next took the stand, testifying on his initial interview with the victim and a controlled phone call placed to Collins by the boy in an effort to uncover details of the alleged criminal sexual act. A digital recording of that conversation was offered as evidence, and Collins can be heard telling the child several times the two would “talk about it later” and asking “Can you hang in there for awhile until we get a chance to talk? ... Chill a little bit and we’ll talk.”
Attorney for the defense Richard Bach noted that his client never admitted to any kind of sexual act at any point during the recording, asking Bessett, “Did he admit to any sexual act, yes or no?”
Said Bessett, “That would be very difficult to answer as a simple yes or no.”
As for a “clear admission,” Bessett admitted there was none.
Bach then asked the state police investigator why the alleged scene of the crime was never examined nor photographed. According to Bassett, there was no reason for such an investigation, as the incident had allegedly occurred more than two years prior to his interview with the victim and had “no relevance to the case.”
The trial is scheduled to resume at approximately 9:30 a.m. with the defense calling its next witness, believed to be Collins himself.