Kalehue
Trusted Member
Kenneth Eugene Jackson , 47, was found guilty of molesting his two stepdaughters. The jury deliberated for less than eight hours. He will be sentenced May 20th and faces life in prison.
Jackson was convicted on eight counts of molestation and aggravated sexual assault, crimes that happened between 2002 and 2007 in Merced. The abuse started when the girls were only 9 and 7 years old. He also impregnated the older victim, who delivered a baby girl in 2007.
Prosecutors said most of the abuse happened when the girls' mother was at appointments with her doctor, being treated for a heart condition.
The victims and their family members were not present in court to hear the verdicts. Still, Deputy District Attorney Monique Neese praised the girls for their "amazing" courage to come forward.
She also thanked the jury, which was comprised of 10 women and two men. "They gave careful consideration and we're pleased with the results," Neese said.
Sean Howard, Jackson's attorney, declined comment after the verdict was read, saying that he's at a "loss for words."
Jackson had been convicted twice in 2002 of sexual misconduct charges in Jefferson County, Ala.
Although both victims and their mother testified in the trial, prosecutors also had DNA evidence to help prove their case. A criminologist testified that DNA evidence proved that Jackson, compared to any other random human being, is 4.6 billion times more likely to be the father of the older victim's daughter. The girl was only 13 years old when she delivered the child in 2007.
http://www.modbee.com/crime/story/643811.html