The call it "The Train"

Girl testified that she was plied with booze and drugs before s

By JACK WALKER

Staff Writer


They call it "the train."

The guys ply the girls with booze or drugs, then line up and take turns having their way with them.

That's what a 13-year-old Gananoque girl claimed happened to her when she showed up at a house party just before Christmas two years ago.

Six males, including three young offenders, were subsequently charged with sexual assault but those charges were withdrawn Thursday after the Crown said there was no reasonable prospect of conviction. (See story above)

Set free were Elijah Hearns, 20, of 68 Old River Road, Mallorytown, and two Gananoque men, Brooke Hall, 21, of 135 Oak Street, and Steven Harper, 20, of 80 Willowbank Road along with the three young persons.

In her sworn testimony last April, the girl said the first assault occurred December 17, 2004 when she and a 14-year-old female friend met some of the accused at a house party.

After watching TV, the complainant said she and her friend were invited upstairs where they were given some alcohol.

She felt "slightly drunk" after consuming three or four shots.

The guys took the girls' clothes off below the waist and began having sex with them on the same bed.

She said she first had sex with Hearns and that the couples then switched and she had vaginal intercourse with one of the young offenders.

No condoms were used and there was no discussion of her age, the girl testified.

Afterwards, the girls left the residence because the guys "were no longer talking to us anymore."

On December 20, three nights later, the girls went to another house party that all three adult accused and the three young persons attended.

This time, the girl said she drank three beers and smoked some pot before going upstairs with one of alleged young offenders.

She said he put on a Viking hat, took out a golf club and told her she would have to take off her clothes if he successfully shot a golf ball onto the bed.

She said the boy then took off her pants and began having sex with her.

A short time later, another of the accused young offenders entered the bedroom.

"OK buddy it's your turn," she recalled one of the boys saying.

While she felt "it was degrading," she had sex with the second boy.

The complainant said Hearns and Steven Harper arrived later by car. She said she first met Hearns December 17 and had never met Harper until that night.

Both came into the bedroom naked and that Hearns began having sex with her, she said.

At one point, she said she was also giving oral sex to one of younger boys.

When Hearns finished, the girl was asked what happened next.

"Well, I didn't really know that they were switching," she said. "I kind of turned around and I saw someone else and I was like 'who are you?'

"They were already having sex with me and he said, 'Oh, I'm Steve Harper.'"

He was followed by another of the accused young offenders and lastly by Brooke Hall.

After Hall finished, the girl said she "just had enough" and that she and her friend got dressed and went home.

The girl said none of the males used protection and that she couldn't recall any of them asking her age.

The final incident took place January 3, 2005. On that occasion, the girl testified she and the same female friend got in a van with four males and drove to the village of Lansdowne.

She said one of them, Hall, unbuckled his pants, pulled down her head and asked her to perform oral sex.

Afterwards, they had intercourse, she said. Again, no condom was used.

Following the incident, the girl was worried she might be pregnant and took a home pregnancy test.

Asked if she knew how the matter got reported to police, the girl replied "I have no clue."

The complainant was never cross-examined on her evidence.


Published in Section A, page 4 in the Friday, December 8, 2006 edition of the Brockville Recorder & Times.
Posted 4:31:07 PM Friday, December 8, 2006.