Published: November 04, 2009 08:51 pm      

Opening statements made in molesting trial

Attorney says prosecutors twisting Sheila Granger’s ‘generosity’

Opening statements were made Wednesday in the trial of a Henryville woman accused of molesting two young boys.

Deputy Prosecutor Brittany Blau told jurors that 33-year-old Sheila Granger groomed the children by buying them expensive gifts and later fondled them and convinced them to have sexual intercourse with her.

Granger’s attorney, Charles Hectus, accused the boys of lying and telling such “incredible stories” that the jury will have no choice but to find it is impossible Granger molested them.

Granger is charged with eight counts of child molesting and one count of child solicitation, dating from August 2007 through August 2008.

Blau’s opening statements also offered new details about the allegations against Granger. Both of the alleged victims dated Granger’s daughter at different times and frequently came to her house.

The first alleged victim was an 11-year-old boy who wanted to play football, but he was being raised by a single mother who could not afford it, Blau said. Granger reportedly bought the child football equipment and drove him to and from practice.

Prosecutors say Granger began by fondling the boy and eventually having sexual intercourse with him.

When the boy and Granger’s daughter broke up, that is when the state alleges Granger targeted another boy of the same age.

“(The second victim) was absolutely head-over-heels in love and is quite frankly crushed by all of this,” Blau said.

She said that Granger told both boys that she was pregnant with their child and would have an abortion. She even allegedly showed each a positive pregnancy test as proof. Blau said Granger told the boys they would go to jail if they told anyone what happened.

Granger’s attorney said the boys have changed their stories numerous times. He said the allegations began when the first boy became upset with Granger and accused her of “kissing him like a girlfriend.”

“They want to take the acts of generosity of Sheila Granger and her husband ... and twist it into grooming for sexual abuse,” Hectus said. “That’s the society we live in ... don’t help the needy or the child down the street.”

Hectus said Granger will take the stand, and he expects to call other children to testify they were nearby at times when the boys claimed Granger had sex with them.

“No one saw anything. No one heard anything. No one suspected anything,” Hectus said.

Blau said after the hearing that the “white elephant” in the room was that Granger is a woman, while the vast majority of accused child molesters are male. She said the law treats child molesting the same whether it is a woman or a man having sex with a child.

Blau began her opening argument by stating that “a child molester can be of any race, of any age and of any gender” and concluded by saying it is just as devastating for boys to be abused as it is for girls.

The jury is made up of eight women and six men. From the 14 jurors selected on Wednesday, 12 names will be drawn at the conclusion of the trial and they will be asked to decide on a verdict.

Witnesses will be called Thursday, and then the trial will recess until Monday. Blau said she anticipates the trial will conclude on Tuesday.

Granger faces 106 to 277 years in prison if convicted on all charges.