SARASOTA, Fla. — Seventy-four-year-old Henry Lee Porter Sr., the previous bishop of a Sarasota evangelical church, is on trial, accused of sexually abusing children from way back to 1989.
Opening statements had been made by state prosecutors Tuesday, accusing Porter of two counts of sexual battery of a baby below the age of 12.
“Henry Lee Porter harnessed the word of God to sexually abuse children, that is what you’re going to hear in this case. That’s what this case is about,” stated Ryan Felix, a state lawyer.
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The state stated the jury will hear from no less than two victims who had been raised within the Westcoast Center for Human Development church the place Porter preached.
But protection lawyer Brent McIntosh opened by explaining that Porter was the true sufferer.
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“I will agree that this case has elements of manipulation in it. But the manipulation is not Henry Porter’s, the manipulation is coming from witnesses,” stated McIntosh.
The state began its case by calling ‘sufferer one’ as the primary witness. The now 40-year-old man testified that he was groomed and sexually abused in a number of methods by Porter from the ages 11 to 21. He stated a lot of it occurred in a personal room within the church that solely Porter had a key to open.
“Then we would put our clothes back on, we would always pray and then confess our faults to each other,” stated the sufferer.
Part of why the sufferer took the stand is as a result of he stated he feared it was nonetheless occurring to different victims. However, the protection cautioned the jury to concentrate to the timeline of these decades-old accusations.
If convicted, Porter might face life in jail. The trial is anticipated to final all week.