AUTHOR’S NOTE: This story contains graphic details from proceedings in Anthony Patterson’s trial involving alleged sex crimes against child victims. Discretion is advised before reading. If you know or suspect that any child under the age of 18 is being sexually abused, please call the Texas Child Abuse Hotline at 1 (800) 252-5400.

TARRANT COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — Testimony continues in Anthony Ryan Patterson’s trial, as his defense team continues to cross-examine the woman who conducted forensic interviews with the alleged victims.

SUMMARY: Opening statements, the first witness in the trial of Anthony Patterson

Former President of the Patterson Auto Group, Patterson, 48, of Wichita Fallsis charged with multiple counts of human trafficking and child sex offenses.

Testimony began Monday afternoon, November 4, 2024, in Auxiliary Courtroom A at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth.

Proceedings were scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, with Denise Roberts, executive director of Patsy’s House, returning to the stand, where Kim Laseter, one of Patterson’s defense attorneys, will continue her cross-examination.

Proceedings started about 20 minutes late due to the late arrival of a juror. Testimony resumed at 9:20 a.m

BREAKING: The state is gearing up for Anthony Patterson’s long-awaited trial

A live blog of opening arguments and testimony in Anthony Patterson’s trial on November 4, 2024 can be found below. Update this story often for updates.

10:37 a.m — Child Victim 1 testified that he now has an adopted family. She confessed that she attends church events and enjoys playing sports at her high school. He is now 15 years old.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: To protect the identity of the alleged child victims, the younger victim, who was 8 years old at the time of the alleged abuse, will be identified as Child Victim 1, and her older sister, who was 10 years old at the time, will be identified as Child Victim 2 .

Roberts is released from the witness stand. Grona-Robb, on behalf of the state, called one of the alleged child victims, the younger of the two sisters, to the stand.

time 10:29 — Laseter asked Roberts if he thought it would be helpful to show the jury a timeline of how the forensic interview played a role in the Patterson investigation. Roberts said he assumed he might be able to help. Laseter approached Roberts, showing him a timeline. A demonstrative chronology is admitted into evidence.

Grona-Robb hands the witness back to Laseter for further questioning.

The jury returned to the courtroom at 10:26 a.m. After altering a video of the forensic interview that the defense was concerned about, two video clips of the forensic interview with the older child victim are admitted into evidence before the jury.

Judge Meredith Kennedy dismissed the jury for the morning recess while the prosecution and defense attorney deal with a matter outside of the jury’s presence. Testimony will resume in approximately 15 minutes.

Laseter passes the witness back to Grona-Robb, who states that he has no further questions.

10:02 a.m — Roberts testified that some detectives from the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Wichita Falls Police Department office at Patsy’s House. Laseter began asking Roberts about an interdisciplinary team. Grona-Robb objected to the line of questioning because of relevance. After a brief bench conference, Judge Meredith Kennedy sustained the objection.

Grona-Robb hands the witness back to Laseter for further questioning.

10:00 a.m — Roberts testified that she has interviewed hundreds of children, and in her experience, all children act differently during a forensic interview. She testified that some child victims are immediate, while others do not want to talk about the abuse. She testified that in this case, the two alleged child victims behaved very differently during their forensic interviews.

9:56 a.m — Roberts testified that during the forensic interview with the older child victim, the girl said that Jandreani Bell, Patterson’s co-defendant, touched Patterson’s genitals during the second incident that occurred in December 2017.

9:54 a.m — Roberts testified that during the forensic interview with the older child victim, the girl drew objects that were in the room during the incident with Patterson. She referenced a guitar that the child victim said during the interview she wanted to play at the time.

9:50 a.m — Grona-Robb admits into evidence several photographs depicting the setting at Patsy’s House during the forensic interview with the older child victim.

9:42 a.m — Roberts testified that in her experience, there will often be things that have occurred, such as instances of abuse, that a victim will not disclose during a forensic interview. She testified that forensic interviews are not perfect and complete, but one piece of the puzzle.

9:40 a.m — Roberts testified that the role of a forensic interviewer is to remain neutral. She testified that she does not work for CPS, the District Attorney’s Office or law enforcement, although the agencies do work together in certain circumstances.

9:38 a.m — Roberts testified that the older child victim did not conflate the abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather with the abuse allegations against Anthony Patterson. She testified that the older child victim was able to tell the difference between the two.

9:36 a.m — Roberts testified that the older child victim, who was a teenager at the time of the forensic interview, was hostile to her doing the interview. She confessed that teenagers are more difficult to interview than children.

Laseter referred the witness back to Brooke Grona-Robb, the lead prosecutor, for re-examination.

9:34 am — Roberts testified that during her forensic interview with the older child victim, the girl said she told her mother and a school teacher about the abuse and that her brother, who witnessed the abuse, also told the school teacher .

9:32 a.m — Roberts testified that during her forensic interview with the older child victim, the girl told her it hurt when she was sexually assaulted by her stepfather and that she was 12 when it finally stopped.

9:28 a.m — Roberts testified that the older child victim told him during a forensic interview that she was consistent in her statements about the abuse she suffered from her stepfather at her home. She testified that the victim said her older brother witnessed the victim being sexually abused.

9:25 a.m — Testimony resumed, with Roberts on the stand and Laseter continuing his cross-examination. Roberts testified that one of the alleged child victims disclosed that she was abused at her home both before and after the allegations against Patterson.

This is a developing story. Stay with Texoma’s home page for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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