Closing arguments held as jury now deliberates Duane Sanders case
Duane Sanders waiving his right to testify on Wednesday morning during his child sex abuse trial.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A Hamilton County jury is now deciding the fate of a former first grade teacher accused of child sexual abuse.
Duane Sanders is facing 15 criminal charges against seven different children while teaching at Wallace A. Smith Elementary School in Ooltewah.
Shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, the jury in the Duane Sanders child sex abuse trial received his case.
Before they took that case, they heard impassioned arguments from the prosecution and defense on whether or not Sanders should be found guilty of some of the most heinous crimes.
Prosecutor Nicole Evans said of the children recounting their stories, “That means they experienced every touch. They felt it. They saw it. He assaulted them. That means they are credible.”
The prosecution argued the collective testimony of the seven children and their parents painted a web of sexual abuse that occurred in Sanders’ classroom.
They argued the evidence pointed towards Sanders grooming his alleged victims.
Evans said, “They’ve had to be in front of him, to recount the gruesome details.”
The defense argued that the children and their parents’ testimonies were too inconsistent.
Public defender Jay Perry said, “The State wants you to believe that in that environment my client was committing these acts over and over and over again with no one seeing, telling, saying anything about it.”
They argued that with little children, there is a chance their testimony is fabricated.
Perry said, “Most six and seven year old kids believes that a man brings gifts to everyone throughout the world one night a year. My son says every year, “I saw Santa.” He’ll wake up “I saw Santa!” That a fairy comes and collects their teeth.”
Perry went on to argue, “What evidence is there of grooming? There is no evidence of that.”
However, the prosecution says that Sanders would have exploited the naivety of children.
Prosecutor Stephanie Brown said, “This classroom was isolated. This classroom at the end of the hallway, at the edge of the school where you can see the windows. The blinds are down, they are facing the woods. Look at that door that is covered up, no one can see in. It’s just him and a bunch of six and seven year olds. “Who’s going to believe the six or seven year old?” He knows that!”
Ultimately, the prosecution urged the jury to remember the children they heard from in their deliberations.
Brown said, “The defense called seven character witnesses. Why do you think that is? So that maybe you would be a little further removed. You wouldn’t remember as vividly, as clearly those seven little boys who sat at the stand, looking right at him.”
The prosecution went on to argue that these character witnesses are not credible, and argued that they themselves could be the victims of Sanders’ manipulation.
Evans said, “Sexual abusers don’t have a pin on the shirt to indicate themselves, he groomed their friends and families to gain access.”
She went on to add, “All sexual assaults happen because of grooming.”
Sanders elected not to testify in this case.
The jury did not come to a decision this evening, breaking for the day shortly before 6 p.m.
They will resume deliberations Thursday morning.
