On Thursday morning Christopher Bates had his chance to tell his side of the story in Riley County Court.
Bates is facing charges from allegations which charge Bates of committing several sexual assaults involving two children in the summer of 2013. The alleged victims will be referred to as Victim A and B in the following story.
On Thursday Bates denied all allegations brought forward by the prosecution, and underscored that he considered the father of the alleged victim as his best friend. Bates testified that as a matter of fact he and the victim’s father “clicked” instantly into a fast friendship that evolved over time until the two soldiers stayed at each others homes. Bates said the alleged victim’s father even had personal body wash at his house to shower after physical training.
Bates denied waking the children to watch television with them, and denied entering their rooms without (with the one exception being listed in the following sentence). Bates said the only time he went into Victim A’s room was to examine a possible water leak within the room with the victim’s father. Bates testified that the reason he went to the home was to “hang-out” with the victim’s father. Bates described the relationship as mutually supportive, and said he helped the alleged victim’s family when they needed a car for a few weeks.
Bates also testified the state of the alleged victim’s home. According to Bates the home was messy when he visited, and he’d often help clean up when he was there for a visit. Bates testified that the futon he slept on when visiting was very loud and squeaky, and described how he had to “climb over” his wife when he had to get up in the mornings. Bates said he never woke the children at any time to watch television with him in the alleged victim’s home.
Bates went on to testify that the first time he knew of the allegations was during an interview at the Riley County Police Department with Detective Goggins. Bates said he waived his Miranda rights, and denied the allegations to Detective Goggins. Bates said Detective Goggins said she knew Victim A from her time when she was assigned to Victim A’s school as an officer on duty. Bates said Detective Goggins told him that she thought Victim A was mature for her age, and might be at the time when she was might be getting crazy. Bates said even after that exchange he denied the allegations. Furthermore, defense attorney Larry McRell questioned Bates about previous testimony concerning the allegations, and Bates replied that he has consistently denied the allegations throughout the process.
On cross examination from the prosecution Bates said he had considered Victim A and B as close friends. Bates admitted that his wife didn’t want to spend that much time at the alleged victims’s house, but he would stay over there anyway. When asked by the prosecution if he had a motive for staying the night of August 10th, and 11th in 2013 Bates stated “Yes”. The prosecution then asked Bates if he would admit that it took very little time to make the alleged assaults. Bates replied to most of the charges that he didn’t know how much time it took to complete the alleged assaults. The prosecution pointed out that on the night of the 10th and 11th of August 2013 Bates in fact didn’t go home with his wife even though she had been involved with a disagreement with the alleged victim’s father over Bates’s family dog.
Defense attorney Larry McRell redirected questions to Bates, and had him explain his “motive” for staying at the alleged victim’s house. Bates stated that he had received orders of changes to his duties, and didn’t believe that he would have more time to spend with the alleged victim’s father. Bates testified that even though the alleged victim’s father had different duty times he never went to the alleged victim’s house without the father present.
At 10:30 a.m. the defense rests its case.
The prosecution called Detective Julia Goggins as a rebuttal witness. Detective Goggins testified that she told Bates that she knew Victim A as part of a technique to build repertoire, and gain information. Detective Goggins said in fact she didn’t know Victim A.
Riley County District Judge David Stutzman informed the jury that they were now subject to call back as the legal teams and himself went over the upcoming directions to be given to the jury. The jury is released until 1 p.m.
Update reported at 11:24 a.m.
