Commonwealth v. Wilcox

37 Pa. D. & C.5th 382
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lycoming County
DecidedMarch 27, 2014
DocketNo. CR-1056-2012
StatusPublished

This text of 37 Pa. D. & C.5th 382 (Commonwealth v. Wilcox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lycoming County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Wilcox, 37 Pa. D. & C.5th 382 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014).

Opinion

LOVECCHIO, J.,

Defendant is charged with numerous offenses relating to his alleged sexual assault of a six year old female. The information filed on July 12, 2012 charges him with Statutory Sexual Assault, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child, Indecent Assault, Corruption of Minors, Rape of a Child, Indecent Exposure and Unlawful Contact with a Minor.

On October 15, 2013, the Commonwealth filed a motion to admit hearsay statements of the alleged victim. On August 22,2013, the Commonwealth filed an amended motion to admit hearsay statements of the minor victim.

Hearings on the Commonwealth’s motion were held before the court on November 12, 2013 and March 20, 2014.

The Commonwealth seeks to admit hearsay statements that the minor child victim made to four separate [384]*384individuals. These individuals include Melissa Dangle, Sherry Moroz, Lou Ann Ziegler and Kyle Mowrey.

Melissa Dangle testified at the November 12, 2013 hearing. She has been employed by Lycoming County Children and Youth for approximately 10 years.

A call was made to the agency in late February of 2012 regarding suspected abuse. Ms. Dangle traveled to the minor victim’s school and met with the minor victim on February 27, 2012. This meeting was very brief. It lasted for approximately one-half hour. The child was emotional and spoke very little about what allegedly occurred.

They met again the next day at the agency’s office. The minor victim was initially hesitant to talk about any alleged incident. As the meeting progressed, however, the child opened up. She talked about a “secret” that she was not allowed to talk about. She noted that her mother would be very mad. She disclosed that the secret was about “Chad.” She went on to describe two separate incidents in which she did not have any clothes on and “Chad” only had his shirt on. In response to a question about whether the secret involved body parts, she pointed to her mouth.

Ms. Dangle explained that the purpose of the meeting was to determine if the child was safe in her present environment. Based upon what the child told her, she decided that the environment was not safe.

In discussing the interview, she noted that the child’s statement was consistent in several particulars, that she could not “see” any motive to fabricate, that the child was not asked leading questions, that the answers the [385]*385child supplied were voluntary and that no promises or inducements were made to the child in exchange for answers. She further had no concern about the child “not being truthful.”

Sherry Moroz also testified at the November 12, 2013 hearing. She is employed as a forensic interviewer with the Child Advocacy Center in Lewisburg. She met with the child on March 15, 2012 and conducted a forensic interview in which the child made numerous incriminating statements against defendant and described alleged sexual abuse. The child indicated that she thought it only happened two times and she was six years old when it happened.

One time the child was sleeping in her bed, and Chad came in and woke her up. It was nighttime and her mother was sleeping. He told her a “top secret.” He told her to take off her clothes and he took off his pants, then they did the “secret.” She was in the middle of the bed and he was doing the “secret” with her. The mouth, lady parts and man parts were involved. Chad touched hers and she touched his. His mouth touched her lady parts, and it didn’t feel comfortable. She was lying down and Chad was sitting in the middle of the bed. She counted to 60 in her head. She also said she had to put hers on his. It felt kind of weird. Chad was lying down and she was in the middle of the bed. He told her it was “top secret.” He also told her “how to do it.” Chad told her he was finished and he said, “Now go back to bed.” She also indicated that the man part got bigger, but nothing came out of it.

The second time, Chad told her to come into his room, [386]*386the master bedroom. This room had a blue floor and a giant bed. Her mom was sleeping downstairs on the couch. They did the same thing as the last time. She had her clothes off; Chad had his pants off. He only had a tank top on. He didn’t even have his underwear on. Chad’s mouth touched her lady parts. It was only on top of her lady parts, and it felt weird. There was never anybody else that touched her like that.

The interview was videotaped and also simultaneously observed by Ms. Dangle and the affiant, Sergeant Taylor of the South Williamsport Police Department. The interview was also observed by other members of the Advocacy Center’s multi-disciplinary team. Following a portion of the interview, Ms. Moroz left the interview room and discussed with the “team” what issues, if any, needed to be further clarified or discussed.

Ms. Moroz indicated that the purpose of the interview was to determine if something happened to the child and if so, what specifically happened. She conceded that the purpose was to establish or prove past events potentially relevant to later proceedings.

While it was important to know what happened in connection with further treatment and safety planning, the purpose of the interview was not to address an immediate situation. It was “more like a step taken in an investigation after the action is over for purposes of aiding the investigation and potential prosecution.” The purpose of the video was to make sure that the child’s statement would be available at any “later proceedings.”

[387]*387Lou Ann Ziegler also testified at the November 12, 2013 hearing. She was employed during the relevant time as an elementary school guidance counselor and gifted support teacher.

In late February of 2012, she was approached by a teacher and asked to speak with the child to “find out what was going on.” The child was brought to her office during lunch, and Ms. Ziegler and the child talked.

The child indicated that she had a “top secret,” that her mommy did not know about it and that her mommy would be mad. She indicated that it took place in her mother’s and “Chad’s room while her mother was sleeping downstairs on the couch.”

When asked if it involved touching, she indicated yes. When asked if it involved inappropriate touching, she also said yes. When she was asked if it involved anything other than hands, she pointed to her mouth.

Ms. Ziegler indicated that with respect to the child, she appeared relaxed and used “typical terminology.” She noted that she and the child had a rapport. The child was never in her office for any punitive issues and at the time did not think that she was in any trouble at all. The child appeared to be certain in her statements and, as best as possible, Ms. Ziegler tried to avoid leading questions. The discussion lasted about three to five minutes.

Kyle Mowrey also testified at the November 12, 2013 hearing. He is a teacher at the Central Elementary School in South Williamsport. On February 24,2012 at the end of the day the child, one of his students, approached him and [388]*388said she had a “secret” with her “stepfather.” She could not tell him the secret.

The following Monday she approached him again about the “secret.” She indicated she was not allowed to tell teachers, her mom or her friends. She did not say anything about the specifics of the secret. Mr.

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Related

Crawford v. Washington
541 U.S. 36 (Supreme Court, 2004)
Commonwealth v. Delbridge
855 A.2d 27 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2003)
Commonwealth v. Allshouse
36 A.3d 163 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2012)
In the Interest of N.C.
74 A.3d 271 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2013)

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Bluebook (online)
37 Pa. D. & C.5th 382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-wilcox-pactcompllycomi-2014.