CONTENT WARNING: This story details allegations of sexual assault involving children. This story contains details that some viewers may find disturbing.

FORT WORTH, Texas (KAUZ) – Anthony Patterson’s second day of testimony continues inside the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth.

The forensic interviewer and a witness are called to testify

Lindsey Dula of the National Forensic Interviewing Network was called to the stand. The doula told the courtroom that children usually don’t tell immediately when the sexual abuse happened. She said there are many factors that delay disclosure, children may be at a loss for words and may be embarrassed or scared to explain what happened.

She said she worked for 24 years as a forensic interviewer, and in that time she said it wasn’t unusual for children to not talk about something that happened right away and for them to say it later.

She pointed out that talking about a traumatic event is scary for children. The doula said she often sees when children talk about a traumatic event, they often don’t seem upset, in a “normal way”. They express nervousness in different ways, including smiling.

When the defense team began asking questions, attorney Laseter asked Dula to explain terms like “tunnel vision” and “confirmation bias.”

The doula confirmed that children do occasionally make false accusations and it is good practice for the forensic interview to be close to the time of the “scream” because the longer the delay, the greater the possibility that the child’s statement will be influenced by many things.

The policeman and the pediatrician are called to testify

Officer Walter Vermillion of the Wichita Falls Police Department was called to the stand. He stated that he was an officer’s house in Patsy’s house, as an officer in the crimes against children unit.

Officer Vermillion said that for this specific case, he was assigned and reviewed to do the investigation by the Vernon Police Department.

After conducting interviews with the victims, Officer Vermillion believes that Jandreani Bell committed Indecency with a Child. Asked about Patterson, he noted that early in his investigation, the victims described a “tall white male with green eyes and black or brown hair.”

Officer Vermillion said he remembers the victims describing the hot tub situation.

Dr. Jamye Coffman, a pediatrician specializing in child abuse care, was called to testify. she told the courtroom that throughout her career she had worked with many children after suspected sexual abuse.

Throughout her testimony, she clarified that most sexual abuse exams, such as the SANE, could not be used in a case like this because they examine intimate contact with a child’s genitals.

Forensic scientists testify

Dwanye Martin, a forensic investigator with the Texas Department of Public Safety, was then called to the stand. He reviewed the process that occurs when laboratories investigate clothing from cases.

Martin said when they tested the T-shirt the older victim was wearing during the second incident, one test came back positive while another came back negative.

Jason White, a forensic scientist from a crime lab in Lubbock was called to the stand to testify.

Stay with News Channel 6 as we learn more in the third day of testimony.

Previous Channel 6 coverage of the Anthony Patterson trial story can be found below:

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