Jason Hershberger v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)

Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided August 24, 2017·No. 71A03-1702-CR-320·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED regarded as precedent or cited before any Aug 24 2017, 6:03 am court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK

the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals

estoppel, or the law of the case. and Tax Court

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE Jeffrey E. Kimmell Curtis T. Hill, Jr. South Bend, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana

Henry A. Flores, Jr.

Deputy Attorney General

Indianapolis, Indiana

IN THE

COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Jason Hershberger, August 24, 2017 Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.

71A03-1702-CR-320

v. Appeal from the St. Joseph Superior Court

State of Indiana, The Honorable Jane Woodward Appellee-Plaintiff. Miller, Judge Trial Court Cause No.

71D01-1508-F1-8

Najam, Judge.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 71A03-1702-CR-320 | August 24, 2017 Page 1 of 20

Statement of the Case

[1] Jason Hershberger appeals his convictions for six counts of child molesting, five

as Level 1 felonies and one as a Class A felony, following a jury trial. Hershberger presents the following issues for our review:

1. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it admitted into evidence a videorecording of a child witness’s forensic interview regarding the alleged molestations.

2. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it made two other evidentiary rulings.

3. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it struck a remark by defense counsel during closing argument.

[2] We affirm.

Facts and Procedural History [3] In 2009, Hershberger and Megan Allen had a one-month-long relationship.

Allen became pregnant by Hershberger, and their daughter, C.H., was born on February 25, 2010. Allen had primary custody of C.H., and Hershberger exercised parenting time with C.H. every other weekend.

[4] In 2012, Hershberger began dating Katie Schrock, who had four children, including son E.P., born June 3, 2009, and daughter I.H., born October 2, 2010. Shortly after he and Schrock started dating, Hershberger “signed I.’s birth certificate” as her father. Tr. Vol. 5 at 15. In October 2012, Schrock lost

custody of her children, and Hershberger was given full custody of E.P. and Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 71A03-1702-CR-320 | August 24, 2017 Page 2 of 20

I.H.1 Hershberger lived with the children at his mother’s house in Walkerton. He and the children, including C.H. during visitations, slept in the basement of the house in one room that included three beds.

[5] In July 2013, after visiting with Hershberger, C.H. complained to Allen of pain in her “front butt,”2 and Allen saw that the area around C.H.’s vagina was red. Tr. Vol. 3 at 62. Allen took C.H. to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center for a physical examination. There, Allen was instructed to contact the Department of Child Services (“DCS”), and Allen took C.H. to be interviewed at the Casie Center, a child advocacy center. Sally Wisthuff interviewed C.H. and found no indication that C.H. had been molested.

[6] On December 2, 2014, I.H. left Hershberger’s house to visit with Schrock, and she told Schrock that her “front butt hurt.” Tr. Vol. 5 at 22. Schrock examined I.H.’s vaginal area and saw that it was “completely red down there.” Id. Accordingly, on December 5, Schrock took I.H. to a local hospital and requested that a rape kit and examination be conducted on I.H. Dr. Steven Spilger examined I.H. and found no indication of molestation. But, given the nature of Schrock’s concerns, Dr. Spilger contacted DCS, and Schrock was advised to take I.H. to the Casie Center for an interview.

1 At some point, Schrock began to exercise regular overnight visitation with I.H.

2 Both C.H. and I.H. refer to their vaginas as their “front butts.”

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 71A03-1702-CR-320 | August 24, 2017 Page 3 of 20

[7] In the course of her interview at the Casie Center, then four-year-old I.H. stated that Hershberger: put a “buzzy thing” in her “front butt”; put his finger in her “front butt”; and put his “dingy”3 in her mouth, in her “front butt,” and in her “back butt.” State’s Ex. 11. I.H. stated that Hershberger takes his “dingy” out of her mouth “when it drips.” Id. I.H. explained that Hershberger wiped off “the drips” with a blanket or towel, and she put her underwear and pants back on afterwards. Id.

[8] After I.H.’s interview, DCS contacted Allen and advised her to take then-four- year-old C.H. to the Casie Center for another interview. After that interview, Allen took C.H. to a local hospital, where Brittany Troyer, a registered nurse, conducted a sexual assault examination of C.H. Nurse Troyer found that C.H.’s vagina and anus were red and irritated, and she found that C.H.’s anus was slightly dilated. Nurse Troyer concluded that C.H. may have been sexually abused.

[9] On August 24, 2015, the State charged Hershberger with ten counts of child molesting, five as Class A felonies, and five as Level 1 felonies. Seven of the counts related to I.H., two counts related to C.H., and one count related to E.P. Prior to trial, the State dismissed three of the counts related to I.H., as well as the one count related to E.P. Also prior to trial, the State filed its

3 C.H. and I.H. both referred to Hershberger’s penis as a “dingy.”

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 71A03-1702-CR-320 | August 24, 2017 Page 4 of 20 notice of its intention to introduce the witness statements [of I.H.] and audio/video recording in evidence should the trial court find that the victim is an unavailable witness, and requests a hearing on the matter. Upon such a finding being made by the Court, the State will request that the Court conduct a hearing outside of the jury's presence to determine the admissibility of her statements and the videotape pursuant to I.C. [§] 35-37-4-6[, the Protected Person Statute].

Appellant’s App. Vol. 3 at 70.

[10] On September 12 and October 7, 2016, the trial court conducted a hearing on the State’s motion under the Protected Person Statute and granted that motion. On December 12, the trial court conducted a jury trial, during which then-six- year-old C.H. took the stand and testified that Hershberger: put his “dingy” or “front” into her; made her touch his “dingy”; made her put his “dingy” in her mouth; put his “dingy” inside her butt; and put a “buzzy thing” inside her “front part.” Tr. Vol. 3 at 175-83. C.H. also testified that she saw Hershberger put his “dingy” in I.’s “back.” Id. at 186. Finally, C.H. identified two sex toys, including a vibrator, officers found in a drawer in Hershberger’s bedroom. C.H. explained that Hershberger used one of the sex toys by placing it “on” his “dingy” and “kind of like move[d] around a little bit.” 4 Id. at 204-05. I.H. did not testify, but the trial court admitted into evidence the State’s Exhibit 11, which is a videorecording of I.H.’s interview at the Casie Center.

4 In addition to a vibrator, officers found a sex toy that appears to have both a fake vagina and a fake anus.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 71A03-1702-CR-320 | August 24, 2017 Page 5 of 20

[11] The jury found Hershberger guilty as charged. Accordingly, the trial court entered judgment of conviction for six counts of child molesting, five as Level 1 felonies and one as a Class A felony. The court sentenced Hershberger to an aggregate term of ninety years. This appeal ensued.

Discussion and Decision

Issue One: Protected Person Statute

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Jason Hershberger v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.), (Ind. Ct. App. 2017).

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